Located at the island town of Sabula, this massive through truss bridge utilizes a swing span to cross the Mississippi River.
The first bridge at this location was built in 1881, consisting of a swing span built by Edge Moor Bridge Works, a Pratt Through Truss and several Whipple Through Trusses built by Rust & Coolidge of Chicago.
By 1906, the old bridge was aging and an upgrade was required. As a result, American Bridge Company was contracted to build a new swing bridge, reusing some of the old piers.
The bridge contains the following spans (from west to east)
1-35' I-Beam
1-45', 1-55', 1-50' Deck Plate Girders
1-360' Through Truss pin connected swing span (Truss #1)
1-259' Pin Connected Parker Through Truss (Truss #2)
3-217', 1-215' Pin Connected Pratt Through Trusses (Trusses #3-#6)
Several assorted deck girders
Historic photo of the bridge
While most of the bridge was built in 1906, it appears that the west approach was upgraded around 1930, when several other bridges along this line were reconstructed. It is unknown if the original 1906 approach was reused, or if new spans were installed. The bridge rests on concrete and stone substructures.
Today, the Swing Bridge here is a very notable feature of the island community of Sabula.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique swing span design and large river crossing.
The photo above is looking from the Iowa side. The Illinois side is very hard, if not impossible, to access.
| Upstream | Dubuque Rail Bridge |
| Downstream | Clinton Rail Bridge |
These Pictures Start at varying points in the Series, for the Pictures taken by others
Detail Photos
