CP/ICE/Milw 1901 Bridge over Mississippi at LaCrescent, MN ~ Pecous

CP/ICE/Milw 1901 Bridge over Mississippi at LaCrescent, MN

(Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges, John A. Weeks III, John Marvig, 3D Satellite)

Dennis Weber posted
A Look @ Freight Cars on CP's Mississippi River Bridge LaCrescent,Mn. 9-2017 CP Train 471.

Originally, it was steam powered. It was converted to electricity in 1952. It is staffed 24/7. [Historic Bridges] It was rebuilt in 1928. The US Coast Guard condemned it in 1998 and ordered that the swing span be replaced with a lift span. So far the replacement has been just talk. This is one of four bridges that island-hops across the Mississippi and Black Rivers between La Crosse, WI and LaCrescent, MN. "La Crosse is one of three places that the Amtrak Empire Builder passenger train crosses the Mississippi River, with the other two being Hastings, MN, and Little Falls, MN." [Weeks]

I'm not exactly sure where this bridge falls for priority. It's a critical line for oil and freight to and from Chicago. However, it depends on who's paying for the replacement (and it probably won't be the railroad). If it's paid for by the coast guard (who is the only ones who want it replaced, due to the navigation channel), it may be a while. It's behind Clinton, Iowa and likely Dubque, Iowa for replacement due to narrow navigation channels. However, the railroad intends to double track the bridges here and further up the river at Hastings within the next few decades, so it may happen then. [Bridge Hunter, Posted September 23, 2015, by John Marvig]

John A. Weeks III

HeavyMovableStructures, Photo 3 in Home Page scroll
[The photo is not identified, but it sure looks like this bridge. Unfortunately, the link I was after, http://www.heavymovablestructures.org/assets/technical_papers/Alteration-of-the-Canadian-Pacific-Railway-Drawbridge.pdf, is broke. Poking around the site quickly comes to "Under Construction" text.]

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