Metropolis Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Metropolis Bridge is a railroad bridge which spans the Ohio River
at Metropolis, Illinois
. Originally built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
, construction began in 1914 under the direction of engineer Ralph Modjeski
.
The bridge consists of the following: (from north to south)
Total length of the bridge is 6424 feet (1,958 m). The largest span stretches 708 feet (215.8 m), and remains the longest pin-connected simple through truss span in the world. Cost of the bridge when built was $4,000,000. (USD)
Not long after completion in 1917, ownership of the bridge was passed on to the Paducah and Illinois Railroad, a newly formed railroad jointly owned by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
and Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
. In 1925, the Illinois Central Railroad
purchased a 1/3 share of the Paducah and Illinois Railroad, and assumed operations and maintenance, as the bridge served as an important link in their newly completed Edgewood-Fulton Cutoff route.
As of 2009, the bridge is operated by the Canadian National Railway
and still owned by the Paducah and Illinois Railroad, where it continues to see heavy use.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at Metropolis, Illinois
Metropolis, Illinois
Metropolis is a city located along the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,482...
. Originally built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, construction began in 1914 under the direction of engineer Ralph Modjeski
Ralph Modjeski
Ralph Modjeski was a Polish-born American civil engineer who achieved prominence as a pre-eminent bridge designer in the United States.-Life:...
.
The bridge consists of the following: (from north to south)
- Deck plate-girder approach spans
- One riveted, 9-panel Parker through truss
- Five pin-connected, Pennsylvania through trusses
- One pin-connected, 8-panel Pratt deck truss
- Deck plate-girder approach spans
Total length of the bridge is 6424 feet (1,958 m). The largest span stretches 708 feet (215.8 m), and remains the longest pin-connected simple through truss span in the world. Cost of the bridge when built was $4,000,000. (USD)
Not long after completion in 1917, ownership of the bridge was passed on to the Paducah and Illinois Railroad, a newly formed railroad jointly owned by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
and Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway was a railway company operating in the southern United States in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia...
. In 1925, the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
purchased a 1/3 share of the Paducah and Illinois Railroad, and assumed operations and maintenance, as the bridge served as an important link in their newly completed Edgewood-Fulton Cutoff route.
As of 2009, the bridge is operated by the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
and still owned by the Paducah and Illinois Railroad, where it continues to see heavy use.