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| Name | La Crescent Swing Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #L-4 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited |
| Superstructure Contractor | Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (trusses) Unknown (girders) |
| Length | 1055 Feet Total, 360 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 25 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss, Parker Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and concrete |
| Date Built | 1901 |
| Traffic Count | 25 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | L-4 |
| Significance | High Significance |
| Documentation Date | 11/23/2013 |
In 1869, the Saint Paul and Chicago Railway (StP&C) began construction on 128 miles of new railroad, extending from La Crescent, Minnesota to St. Paul, Minnesota. Some grading was done under the Minnesota and Pacific Railway between 1857 and 1860. By 1872, the new railroad would be complete, and the StP&C would convey the line to the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, which would change its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company (CM&StP) in 1874. Known as the Milwaukee Road, the railroad was beginning to amass a large collection of railroads throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
This line became the backbone of the Milwaukee Road system in Minnesota, connecting the Twin Cities and Chicago. Because of the importance of this route, the Milwaukee Road double tracked a majority of it between 1905 and 1910. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Financial hardship continued for the Milwaukee Road, and the railroad again filed bankruptcy in 1977. During the 1970s and 1980s, segments of the double track were removed along this route. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. CPKC currently operates this route as their River Subdivision, and the route also hosts Amtrak trains.
Located at La Crescent, this large swing bridge crosses the western (main) channel of the Mississippi River. The previous bridge here was built between 1874 and 1876 by the American Bridge Works, and consisted of lightweight iron trusses. When that bridge became too light for traffic, it was replaced by the present bridge. One of the old spans is known to have been reused at Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The current bridge consists of a 75-foot deck plate girder on the west end, a 360-foot pin connected Pratt through truss swing span with a pair of 7-panel, 180-foot spans fixed by a tower over a pivot pier, a 250-foot 9-panel pin connected Parker through truss, a 161-foot and a 162-foot 6-panel pin connected Pratt through truss, and a 45-foot deck plate girder. The entire bridge rests on stone substructures from the previous bridge, which were strengthened with concrete in 1901. The trusses utilize a standard Milwaukee Road design, including laced endposts, star cutouts in the heel bracing and a lattice portal.
While the French Slough, East Channel and Black River bridges were significantly replaced in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this bridge has been retained with little changes. Due to the amount of barge strikes, it has been proposed to replace the swing span with a new vertical lift span. However, this work is still in the planning phases and will not occur in the near future. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the steel. The author has ranked this bridge as being highly significant, due to the unique combination of large truss spans.
Citations
| Builder and build date | The Railway Age, Volume 34 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |