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 between two states: Burlington, Iowa, and Gulfport, Illinois, in the United States. This bridge is currently owned by BNSF Railway. It has two tracks that are part of BNSF's main rail line connecting Chicago and Denver.

What is the Burlington Bridge?

The Burlington Bridge is a key part of the railroad system. It helps trains carry goods and people across the Mississippi River every day. A vertical-lift bridge is cool because a section of it can be lifted straight up. This allows tall boats and barges to pass underneath without hitting the bridge.

A Bridge with a Long History

The bridge you see today is actually the third one built in the exact same spot! Each bridge was built to handle more trains and heavier loads as time went on.

The First Bridges

The very first bridge here opened in 1868. It was a single-track bridge made completely of iron. This was a big deal because it was the first all-metal bridge to ever cross the Mississippi River! It was built after the American Civil War by a company called the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CBQ). People often called them the Burlington Route. This bridge was a vital link for trains traveling between Chicago and Denver.

As more and more trains needed to cross, the CBQ decided to build a new, stronger bridge. In 1893, they replaced the first one with a double-track bridge. This meant two trains could cross at the same time! In the 1930s, it was made even stronger to carry heavier freight cars. The CBQ railroad later became part of Burlington Northern Railroad in 1970, and then BNSF Railway. Today, even Amtrak's famous California Zephyr passenger train crosses this bridge.

An Exciting Incident!

On May 1, 2008, something dramatic happened. Five large, fully loaded barges broke free during a time when the river was very high. One of these barges crashed into the bridge and got stuck underneath it!

The bridge had to be closed right away. It stayed closed until the next day, May 2. Then, one track was opened after engineers checked it and said it was safe. The stuck barge was finally removed on the afternoon of May 3. That evening, the second track was reopened. This meant the bridge was back to full use, carrying dozens of trains daily. Later that same year, the United States Coast Guard said the bridge was a danger to boats passing by. This meant it needed to be replaced, and it could get money from the government to help pay for it.

Building the New Bridge

Because the old bridge was declared a danger, BNSF Railway started working on replacing it in late 2009. They got funding from a special government program called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The project was done in two main parts. First, a company called Ames Construction built the new lift span. This is the part that moves up and down. It was finished and working by February 2011. Then, Walsh Construction Company built the other parts of the bridge, called the approach trusses. The entire new bridge was 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