Martin Sigvart Grytbak was one of four innovative and influential Norwegian

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

-American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

s that were involved in the design of the great bridges of the Twin Cities. The others are Kristoffer Olsen Oustad

Kristoffer Olsen Oustad

Kristoffer Olsen Oustad was a Norwegian-American engineer who designed major structures in the United States. Often working together with three other Norwegian-American engineers Kristoffer Olsen Oustad (Died February 13, 1943) was a Norwegian-American engineer who designed major structures in...

, Andreas W. Munster and Frederick William Cappelen

Frederick William Cappelen

Frederick William Cappelen was a Norwegian-born architect and civil engineer who held the office of Minneapolis City Engineer.Frederick William Cappelen was born in Drammen, Norway...

.

Grytbak graduated as a civil engineer in 1903 at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology , commonly known as NTNU, is located in Trondheim. NTNU is the second largest of the eight universities in Norway, and, as its name suggests, has the main national responsibility for higher education in engineering and technology...

 (Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet) in Trondhjem

Trondheim

Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

.
Grytbak came to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 about 1903 and worked as a bridge engineer for the Northern Pacific Railway

Northern Pacific Railway

The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...

 in Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

. From 1913 until after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 he served as bridge engineer for the city of Saint Paul. Grytbak's major works are the Intercity Bridge

Intercity Bridge

The Intercity Bridge, more commonly known as the Ford Parkway Bridge , is a reinforced concrete arch bridge that spans the Mississippi River between Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota. It connects 46th Street in Minneapolis with Ford Parkway in Saint Paul...

 (Ford Parkway Bridge) between Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and the Kellogg Boulevard Viaduct in St. Paul.

Other sources

• Bjork, Kenneth Saga in Steel and Concrete: Norwegian Engineers in America (Norwegian-American Historical Association. 1947)