Sad Remnants...
The former bridge site as viewed looking south from the neighboring Iowa Northern RR bridge, itself a leftover from the Rock Island. Two granger railroads which are now long gone...
Photo taken by Dylan VanAntwerp in June 2013
BH Photo #256274
The Milwaukee Road did a mass-abandonment in 1980, shedding off its entire Pacific Extension and also numerous lines in the Midwest. It was a desperate measure to shed off weaker lines and retreat to a financially solvent core system. Among the lines that were axed was the former E/W main across IA that went through Cedar Rapids. So the bridge was probably torn out within a short time following its 1980 abandonment date.
Probably lost to the MILW needing money in its last days. Steel has scrap value.
Was this bridge lost to flooding in 1985, or lost to "progress?"
See the ruins before IA-100 is built over them
The second Cedar River bridge was removed in June 1983. The remaining abutments and piers will not be affected by Iowa Highway 100 construction as the new highway bridge will be built north of both the MILW and current Iowa Northern (ex-CRIP, nee BCRN) bridge alignments.