Burlington Rail Bridge facts for kids
The Burlington Bridge is a special kind of railroad bridge called a vertical-lift bridge. It crosses the mighty Mississippi River and connects Burlington, Iowa, with Gulfport, Illinois, in the United States. Today, the BNSF Railway owns it. This bridge has two tracks and is a key part of BNSF's main railway line that goes all the way from Chicago to Denver.
Quick facts for kids Burlington Rail Bridge |
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The bridge's lift span in 2013
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| Coordinates | 40°47′55″N 91°05′31″W / 40.79861°N 91.09194°W |
| Carries | Double-track rail line |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Burlington, Iowa and Gulfport, Illinois |
| Official name | BNSF Br. 204.66 |
| Maintained by | BNSF Railway |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Five 250-foot (76 m) fixed trusses; one 370-foot (110 m) vertical-lift truss span; two deck plate girder spans |
| Total length | 2,145 feet (654 m) |
| Width | 34 feet 6 inches (10.52 m) |
| Longest span | 370 feet (110 m) (lift span) |
| Clearance above | 19.5 ft (5.9 m) (closed); 44.1 ft (13.4 m) (open) over 2% flowline |
| History | |
| Opened | 1867 (original) 1893 (replacement) 2010 (second replacement) |
Contents
A Bridge Through Time: Its History
The Burlington Bridge you see today is actually the third bridge built in the exact same spot!
The First Bridge: A Metal Marvel
The very first bridge opened in 1868. It was a single-track swing bridge, which means a part of it could swing open to let boats pass. This bridge was special because it was the first bridge made entirely of metal to cross the Mississippi River. It was built right after the American Civil War.
This first bridge was part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CBQ) network. People often called it the "Burlington Route." It was a super important link for trains traveling between Chicago and Denver.
Upgrades and Changes Over the Years
As more and more trains needed to cross the river, the first bridge became too busy. So, in 1893, the CBQ railroad rebuilt it. The new bridge had two tracks instead of one, making it much more efficient. In the 1930s, it was made even stronger to handle heavier freight trains.
Later, the CBQ railroad joined with other companies. It became part of the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1970, and then later, the BNSF Railway. Today, famous trains like Amtrak's California Zephyr still use this bridge!
A Close Call and a New Beginning
In 2008, something big happened. Five large boats called barges broke free during a time when the river was very high. One of them hit the bridge and got stuck underneath! The bridge had to be closed for a day. Luckily, one track was opened the next day after engineers checked it for safety. The stuck barge was removed, and both tracks were back in full use soon after.
Because of this incident, the United States Coast Guard decided the bridge was a danger to boats on the river. This meant the old bridge needed to be replaced. The good news was that this also meant the project could get money from the government.
Building the New Bridge
Thanks to a special government plan in 2009, the BNSF Railway got the funding to build a brand new bridge. Work started in late 2009. The project was done in two main parts. First, the special "lift span" (the part that goes up and down) was built. This part was ready and working by February 2011. The rest of the bridge was finished and officially opened in October 2012.
Images for kids
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The Burlington (C. B. & Q. Railroad) bridge in 1891
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The Burlington Rail Bridge in 1985, showing the long pier on which the swing span pivoted
