C&NW Railroad Bridge

C&NW Railroad Bridge, C&NW Railroad right-of-way and the Mississippi River; 1909.This is a double-tracked railroad swing bridge with steel trusses spanning between stone piers. There is a swing section adjacent to the Iowa shore to allow boat passage in the main channel of the Mississippi River. Fixed spans are to the east and traverse Little Rock Island, completing the bridge link to the Illinois side of the river. The bridge replaced an iron railroad bridge, built in 1870, which, in turn, had replaced the first railroad bridge at Clinton. The first bridge was a wood "Howe Truss"-type built in 1864-1865.