Bridgehunter.com | BN - Alton Bridge

Photos

Overall View Of Bridge, Looking North

Photo taken Aug. 1985 by Clayton B. Fraser for the Historic American Engineering Record

BH Photo #124132

Overview: Lost through truss swing bridge over the Mississippi River on the Burlington Northern Railroad at Alton
Location: Alton, Madison County, Illinois, and St. Charles County, Missouri
Status: Removed after the railroad line was abandoned
History: Built 1892-94 under the direction of George S. Morison. Railroad line abandoned in 1988.
Builders: - George S. Morison of New Bedford, Massachusetts
- Union Bridge Co. of Buffalo, New York & Athens, Pennsylvania
Railroads: - Burlington Northern Railroad (BN)
- Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CBQ)
Design: From west to east:
Six Pratt through trusses, each 210 ft.
One Pennsylvania through truss, 360 ft.
One pivot swing through truss span, 460 ft.
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 460.0 ft.
Total length: 2,060.0 ft. (0.4 mi.)
Also called: Alton Bridge (original name)
BN - Mississippi River Bridge (Alton)
CB&Q - Mississippi River Bridge (Alton)
CB&Q - Alton Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude: +38.88450, -90.18534 (decimal degrees)
38°53'04" N, 90°11'07" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 15/744142/4307725 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:: Alton
Inventory number: BH 15488 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

May 18, 2019: New photos from Joe Sonderman
August 20, 2012: Updated by Daniel Hopkins: Added category "Railroad"
October 24, 2009: Updated by Kim Harvey: year railroad abanoned
September 14, 2008: New photos from James Baughn
July 8, 2008: Updated by Kim Harvey: bridge was removed when the railroad line was abandoned in early 1990s
February 5, 2007: Posted new photos