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IAIS Brady Street Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge Over Brady Street (Former US-61)
Davenport, Scott County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name IAIS Brady Street Bridge
Built By Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Iowa Interstate Railroad
Length 85 Feet Total, 55 Foot Main Span
Width 2 Tracks, 1 In Use
Height Above Ground 11 Feet 8 Inches
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder and I-Beam
Substructure Type Concrete and Steel Tower
Date Built 1902, Rebuilt Ca. 1930
Traffic Count 6 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
IAIS Bridge Number 1829
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date September 2017


This through girder bridge is one of the most notorious bridges in the Midwest.
Known as the Brady Street "Truck Eating" Bridge, this bridge claims the jobs of many truck drivers every year.
The problem first became a big issue in the 2000s, although since then US-61 has been rerouted off of Brady Street, to bypass Davenport.
Built in 1902, the bridge originally had three tracks. However, the third track was removed at some point. It also appears that the bridge may have been rebuilt around 1930.
Now, the bridge is painted a deep and striking green color. The bridge rests on concrete substructures with steel piers.
Overall, the bridge remains in good condition, and should be much safer now that US-61 has been rerouted off of Brady Street.

The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from the road below.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Date Stamp
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele