The northern most railroad bridge over the Mississippi River in Saint Louis is this massive bridge, which crosses at the original intended site of the Eads Bridge.
This massive bridge is the second oldest of the four over the Mississippi at St. Louis. It also contains a design very similar to the McKinley Bridge and the MacArthur Bridge.
This bridge was also one of the earliest railroad bridges to utilize large Pennsylvania Through Truss spans to cross a major body of water. The lightweight design of these trusses can very clearly be seen when observing the bridge.
Despite this, the bridge continues to handle the constant loads of traffic which cross it. It is the second busiest freight bridge over the Mississippi in Saint Louis.
The main three main spans are constructed of pin connected Pennsylvania Through Truss spans, all of which are built with 18 panels. The substructures for the main spans are stone, while the remaining spans are concrete and steel.
These are approached by deck girder spans on either side. The closest deck girder spans replaced old deck truss spans in 2005, while the further out ones are older, but not 1890 vintage. It is unknown when these were built, but likely Ca. 1900.
Despite the good condition of the bridge, it has been scheduled for replacement with a similar span. Only one train at a time can cross the double tracked structure, due to structural concerns of the three main spans.
Unfortunately, a bridge like this should be preserved at all costs. However, railroads put profits first; which does result in a significant loss of transportation heritage. As of 2021, the bridge is currently being replaced, and no historical components will remain by the end of 2022.
The bridge can be accessed from riverfront trails on either side of the bridge.
The author has ranked this bridge as nationally significant due to the age, large spans and revolutionary design it imposed in 1890.
The photo above is an overview looking west. The photo below is the portal bracing on the bridge.
| Upstream | Alton Swing Bridge |
| Downstream | McKinley Bridge |
