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Illinois Central Missouri River Bridge

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Illinois Central Missouri River Bridge
Coordinates41°16′41″N 95°53′28″W / 41.27806°N 95.89111°W / 41.27806; -95.89111
CarriesRailroad
CrossesMissouri River
LocaleCouncil Bluffs, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska
OwnerIllinois Central
Characteristics
No. of spans2
History
Construction end1893
Opened1903
Location
Map

The Illinois Central Missouri River Bridge, also known as the IC Bridge or the East Omaha Bridge, is a rail through truss double swing bridge across the Missouri River connecting Council Bluffs, Iowa with Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by the Canadian National Railroad and is closed to all traffic. At 521 feet long, the second version of the bridge was the longest swing bridge in the world from when it was completed in 1903 through 1915.[1] In 1975 it was regarded as the third longest swing bridge.[2]

History

The East Omaha Bridge was originally built and owned by the Omaha Bridge and Terminal Railway Company. Opened in January 1904[3] the bridge was reconstructed in 1908 by the American Bridge Company. In the reconstruction, there was discussion as to whether the bridge should be open to pedestrian and street traffic as well as rail traffic. Ultimately, it was limited to rail use only,[4], including commuter service between the two cities.

Illinois Central, or IC, started running through Omaha in January 1900, using the East Omaha Bridge for passenger trains from 1900 to 1921, and again from 1938 to 1939. Today, the Iowa swing span, still from the original bridge constructed in 1893, is of wrought iron; the Nebraska swing span was built in 1904 of steel. IC first gained rights to the bridge in 1899, and gained a controlling interest in 1902. The railroad took complete control of the Omaha Bridge and Terminal Railway Company in 1903, and was later bought by the Canadian National Railroad, which currently owns the bridge.[5]

Features

The double swing was installed when the bridge was reconstructed in the first decade of the 1900s. It was necessary due to the changing channel of the river between when the bridge was originally constructed in the 1890s and when it was rebuilt. The bridge is comprised of two 520' long draws.[6]

The Missouri River flow at Omaha is controlled by the Gavins Point Dam, completed in 1957. It has limited the flow of water at Omaha because of both droughts and decreased flow because of electricity needs met by the dam. Between that, levee building, and channelization of the river, starting in the 1950s the Iowa side of the bridge has spanned dry land, and the double swing became unnecessary. With the controlled flow of the Gavins Point Dam, starting in the 1960s the bridge was closed for rail traffic during the winter months when the Missouri River was shut down for barge traffic. In the 1970s the bridge the swing mechanism on the Iowa side was damaged in a fire of the equipment housing. In the spring when the river reopened the bridge would also be reopened for traffic. In the winter the Iowa side of the bridge would be swung open and closed by hooking a cable up to a bulldozer pulling it.

Closure

The bridge was taken out of service in 1980. Today the Iowa half is permanently wenched open to allow river traffic to cruise through without interruption. All railroad traffic through the Council Bluffs/Omaha area now crosses via the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge.[7] A feasibility study conducted in the 1990s determined the need to keep the track and bridge in place in case of a problem with the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge.

Design

The current bridge features a drawspan of 521 feet with a fixed span of 560 feet carrying a double track railway between the trusses.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Waddell, John Alexander Low (1916). Bridge Engineering, Volume 1. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  2. ^ Marshall, John (1975). The Guinness Book of Rail Facts and Feats. Guiness Superlatives. p. 99.
  3. ^ (1915) Poor's and Moodys Consolidated Manual. Volume 2, Part 1. Moody Manual Company. p. 398.
  4. ^ "Omaha Bridge and Terminal Railway Company (Omaha, Neb.)". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 3/4/11. Communique regarding the East Omaha Bridge.
  5. ^ "IC Swing Bridge". Bridgehunter.com. Retrieved 3/4/11.
  6. ^ (1915) Poor's and Moodys Consolidated Manual. Volume 2, Part 1. Moody Manual Company. p. 398.
  7. ^ "Omaha's Other Railroad Bridge", Trainorders.com. Retrieved 3/4/11.
  8. ^ Waddell, J.A.L. (1898) De pontibus: A pocket-book for bridge engineers. p 156.
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