This historic truss bridge in Rock Rapids once served as the Illinois Central line through Rock Rapids.
Today however, it sees a new life as an access road to the Rock Rapids Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The bridge was built in 1888 when the railroad first came through town. The trestle was updated in 1916.
The main span is a lightly built Pratt Through Truss, with 8 panels and pinned connections. There are no notable altercations to this truss, which still features the original stringers and connections.
Built up vertical members and a laced portal and sway bracing also add to the historical integrity of the structure.
A long trestle approach approaches the truss from the south. These spans feature a ballasted deck.
The truss substructures are concrete, while the approach has wooden substructures.
This bridge is similar to many other Illinois Central designs from this era, including the Jane Addams Trail Bridge, which is on a line built approximately the same time.
The author has ranked this structure as moderately significant. While a number of IC trusses continue to exist in Northwest Iowa, which all date to the same era; structures with the quality of historic integrity as this one has should be strongly considered for long term preservation.
The photo above is an overview from a winter afternoon.
| Upstream | Rock Rapids Trail Bridge |
| Downstream | Bonnie Doon Bridge |