St. Paul Union Pacific Vertical-lift Rail Bridge
Encyclopedia
The St. Paul Union Pacific Vertical-lift Rail Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that spans the Mississippi River
in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. This is one of only three vertical-lift bridges along the Mississippi River, along with the Hastings Rail Bridge
in Hastings, Minnesota
and the Wabash Bridge
in Hannibal, Missouri
. It was built in 1913 and was designed by Waddell & Harrington. In 1925, the north end of the bridge was raised about 16 feet to tie in with tracks that served the St. Paul Union Depot yard. The vertical-lift span has 105-foot high towers, and the electrical lift system was built with a possible 45-foot elevation. However, by 1973, the amount of lift was reduced to 37 feet, because of aging of the equipment.
The bridge was originally built by the Chicago Great Western Railroad, which later became part of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. The Robert Street Bridge
, built later in 1926, had to be carefully engineered around the railroad bridge.
In April 1997, high water on the Mississippi River reached the bottom of the span. The Union Pacific Railroad spotted a train of hopper car
s laden with rocks on the bridge to help anchor it and keep it from being washed away.
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...
in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. This is one of only three vertical-lift bridges along the Mississippi River, along with the Hastings Rail Bridge
Hastings Rail Bridge
Hastings Rail Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota. It is one of only three lift spans on the Mississippi River, the others being at Hannibal, Missouri, and in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota...
in Hastings, Minnesota
Hastings, Minnesota
Hastings is a city in Dakota counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota, near the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. The population was 22,172 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dakota County. The bulk of Hastings is in Dakota County; only a small part of the city extends...
and the Wabash Bridge
Wabash Bridge
The Wabash Bridge carries rail lines across the Mississippi River between Hannibal, Missouri and Illinois.-History:It has been a vertical lift bridge since 1994, but it was originally constructed as a swing span. The vertical lift span was relocated from a bridge over the Tennessee River at...
in Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...
. It was built in 1913 and was designed by Waddell & Harrington. In 1925, the north end of the bridge was raised about 16 feet to tie in with tracks that served the St. Paul Union Depot yard. The vertical-lift span has 105-foot high towers, and the electrical lift system was built with a possible 45-foot elevation. However, by 1973, the amount of lift was reduced to 37 feet, because of aging of the equipment.
The bridge was originally built by the Chicago Great Western Railroad, which later became part of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. The Robert Street Bridge
Robert Street Bridge
The Robert Street Bridge is a reinforced concrete multiple-arch bridge that spans the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. The bridge is notable for its complex design that was required to accommodate river traffic, the St. Paul Union Pacific Vertical-lift Rail Bridge crossing...
, built later in 1926, had to be carefully engineered around the railroad bridge.
In April 1997, high water on the Mississippi River reached the bottom of the span. The Union Pacific Railroad spotted a train of hopper car
Hopper car
A hopper car is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, track ballast, and the like. The name originated from the coke manufacturing industry which is part of the steel industry ....
s laden with rocks on the bridge to help anchor it and keep it from being washed away.