Rating:
4 votes

UP - Clinton Bridge (West Channel)

Clinton County, Iowa, and Whiteside County, Illinois

Photos 

1908 Construction

Public Domain: Published Prior to 1920

BH Photo #319463

Map 

Street Views 

Description 

"On October 24, 1958, a fire started from an acetylene welding torch when workmen were repairing earlier damage to the swing span of the railroad bridge over the Mississippi River. The bridge was severely damaged and out of operation for a week. The Coast Guard closed the river to navigation. Tows and barges stacked up waiting to head downriver, with only a few week left in the navigation season. Railroad crews of over 100 men worked around the clock to repair the bridge and bring it back into service."

Facts 

Overview
Through truss swing bridge over Mississippi River on Union Pacific Railroad
Location
Clinton, Clinton County, Iowa, and Whiteside County, Illinois
Future prospects
Scheduled for demolition and replacement. Plan is to raise the current grade so new bridge won't need an moveable span to accommodate barge traffic. Desired goal is to begin new bridge construction in 2020. Once new bridge complete, demo of old bridge in 60 days of new bridge open to traffic. Demo of historic railroad depot included in project. Total project estimated duration 42 months.
History
Built 1908-9; Caught fire 1958,
Builder
- Pennsylvania Steel Co. of Steelton, Pennsylvania
Railroads
- Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)
- Chicago & North Western Railway (CNW)
- Dakota, Minnesota, & Eastern Railroad (DME)
- Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (ICE)
- Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
Design
450' Baltimore Through Truss Swing Span with a 52' Deck Plate Girder approach with a 180' Parker Through Truss and 150' Quadrangular Through Truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 450.0 ft.
Total length: 832.0 ft.
Also called
CNW - Clinton Bridge (West Channel)
C&NW Bridge #0.75
C&NW Bridge #0 3/4
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.83642, -90.18396   (decimal degrees)
41°50'11" N, 90°11'02" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/733824/4635448 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Clinton
Inventory number
BH 48602 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

A-frame portal (434)
Baltimore through truss (332)
Baltimore truss (364)
Built 1909 (789)
Built during 1900s (7,437)
Canadian Pacific Railway (572)
Chicago & North Western Railway (1,420)
Clinton County, Iowa (70)
Clinton, Iowa (17)
Dakota, Minnesota, & Eastern Railroad (348)
Doomed (1,037)
Have street view (27,723)
Historic Bridge Weekend 2013 (145)
Illinois (4,804)
Iowa (6,625)
Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (228)
Lattice through truss (594)
Lattice truss (626)
M-frame portal (84)
 Mississippi River (224)
Movable (3,063)
Navigable waterway (2,182)
Open (40,266)
Owned by railroad (12,986)
Parker through truss (1,342)
Parker truss (1,729)
Pennsylvania Steel Co. (158)
Pin-connected (4,064)
Quadrangular lattice through truss (186)
Railroad (16,101)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,219)
State line crossing (877)
Swing (1,520)
Through truss (15,749)
Total length 500-1000 feet (2,945)
Truss (33,911)
Union Pacific Railroad (2,389)
Whiteside County, Illinois (50)

Update Log 

  • June 3, 2021: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • July 31, 2018: Updated by Nathan Holth: Updated bridge status.
  • January 31, 2018: New photos from John Marvig
  • January 16, 2018: New photos from Douglas Butler
  • May 28, 2017: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Pin-connected"
  • March 26, 2015: Updated by Luke: Edited history section to note that the bridge caught fire in 1958
  • October 9, 2013: New Street View added by J.P.
  • August 26, 2013: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • December 28, 2012: Updated by John Marvig: Added information
  • August 12, 2012: New photos from Steve Conro
  • August 11, 2012: Updated by Steve Conro: Altered name, changed spans (separate of 3 bridges) Swing Span
  • July 26, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Corrected number of spans, there are 10 Spans in total.
  • January 15, 2012: New photo from Ed Ahlf
  • October 18, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: Added builder
  • October 10, 2011: New Street View added by Ben Tate
  • October 10, 2011: Updated by Nathan Holth: This bridge is now doomed.
  • April 12, 2011: Added by Frank Hicks

Related Bridges 

Sources 

Post a comment here

Comments 

UP - Clinton Bridge (West Channel)
Posted December 21, 2020, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

I've received word that this bridge will be replaced beginning next year. The bridge will probably be demolished in late 2024 or early 2025.

UPRR Clinton West Channel Bridge
Posted August 11, 2012, by Steve Conro (sconro [at] yahoo [dot] com)

On field visit to photo we spoke to the very nice bridge tender who allowed us access and told us bridge will be replaced in 6 years. She said preliminary bids are $200,000,000.