Keithsburg Rail Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Keithsburg Bridge was a vertical lift bridge that carried a single railroad track across the Mississippi River
between Louisa County, Iowa
and Keithsburg, Illinois
.
The bridge was constructed for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway
around 1910 and traffic across the bridge was discontinued in the 1970s. After the line was abandoned, the vertical lift was locked in the up position for several years until the lift portion was accidentally destroyed by fireworks and the ensuing fire on June 30, 1981. The 220 feet (67.1 m) vertical lift section fell into the river blocking barge traffic on the main channel of the Mississippi River for more than a week until it was removed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The USGS aerial photo from March 2000 shows the bridge standing but missing its vertical lift section.
This bridge replaced a previous Iowa Central railroad bridge, constructed in the 1880s, that crossed at the same location. The old stone piers from the previous bridge still stand next to the current bridge.
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
between Louisa County, Iowa
Louisa County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 11,387 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,002 housing units, of which 4,346 were occupied.-2000 census:...
and Keithsburg, Illinois
Keithsburg, Illinois
Keithsburg is a city in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 714 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Keithsburg is located at ....
.
The bridge was constructed for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway
The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway was an American Class I railroad that built and operated lines radiating south and west from Minneapolis, Minnesota which existed for 90 years from 1870 to 1960....
around 1910 and traffic across the bridge was discontinued in the 1970s. After the line was abandoned, the vertical lift was locked in the up position for several years until the lift portion was accidentally destroyed by fireworks and the ensuing fire on June 30, 1981. The 220 feet (67.1 m) vertical lift section fell into the river blocking barge traffic on the main channel of the Mississippi River for more than a week until it was removed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The USGS aerial photo from March 2000 shows the bridge standing but missing its vertical lift section.
External links
- Ward, Vaughn. Rise & Fall of Keithsburg, IL Bridge. Northwestern Lines Magazine. Fall 1984. p52.
- http://eldora.net/lyndon/towns/kiethsburg.html
- http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/program.pl?ID=278698
- New York Times article about span destruction