Dubuque Rail Bridge
| Dubuque Rail Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Dubuque Railroad Bridge. | |
| Coordinates | 42°29′55″N 90°39′01″W / 42.49861°N 90.65028°WCoordinates: 42°29′55″N 90°39′01″W / 42.49861°N 90.65028°W |
| Carries | Single rail track |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Dubuque, Iowa and East Dubuque, Illinois |
| Maintained by | Canadian National Railway |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss Bridge with Swing-span |
| History | |
| Opened | December 1868 |
The Dubuque Rail Bridge carries a single rail line across the Mississippi River between Dubuque, Iowa, and East Dubuque, Illinois, near river mile 580.
It is currently operated by Canadian National Railway. as a result of their 1999 purchase of Illinois Central Railroad.
History
The original swing bridge was constructed by Andrew Carnegie and operated by the Dunleith & Dubuque Bridge Company opening in December 1868,[1] primarily used by the Illinois Central Railroad.
The Dubuque Rail Bridge was rebuilt in the 1890s and has 5 spans and a swing-span. Because of a 150-foot bluff very close to the Mississippi riverbank on the Illinois side, the railroad tracks enter a 1/4-mile tunnel that curves 90-degrees to the south to allow trains to proceed along the tracks adjacent to the river south of the bridge.
See also
References
- ↑ Ringwalt, J.L. (1888). "Development of Early Transportation Systems in the United States". Retrieved 2008-08-08.
External links
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