At the same time, the Burlington Street Railroad first begun operations in 1891, using electrified trolleys. In 1895, the Burlington Light & Railway Company took over all operations in the city of Burlington.
The city realized expanding the streetcar to Crapo Park could become an efficient way to handle the large crowds oftentimes seen. The chosen route would follow Main Street, and a bridge over the Cascade Ravine was needed.
To bridge the ravine, Milwaukee Bridge & Iron Works was contracted to build a bridge no less than 240 feet in length across the creek and ravine.
The finished structure was approximately 464 feet long, and consisted of a double track rail line on top of wooden deck.
Buses finally began to replace the streetcars as means of public transportation in 1925, with the last electric streetcars running in 1929.
The bridge continued to serve automobile and pedestrian traffic until 2008, when it was closed. In 2021, it is reported that the bridge will be demolished and replaced in the coming years. This bridge should be considered in immediate danger.
11/07/21
The Cascade Bridge is considered to be one of the most unique bridges in Iowa. It is built of four different trusses. On the south end, a pair of 90' Pratt Deck Trusses each with 5 panels approach the main span. The main span is a large 12 panel Baltimore Deck Truss.
On the north end, this approached by a single 4-panel 60' Pratt Deck Truss. All of these spans contain pinned connections.
In addition, the substructures have been constructed of concrete. Large steel towers support the trusses onto the concrete substructures.
The bridge received a significant rehabilitation in 1960, including replacement of the deck with a steel grate deck.
The bridge was closed in 2008 due to structural deterioration. The future of the bridge is currently unknown. Since its construction in 1896, the bridge has become a landmark to the community. Because of this, the chances of demolition are significantly less than a similar structure in a rural setting.
Overall, the bridge is in a deteriorated condition with severe corrosion at critical members. This stems from deferred maintenance, likely seen for nearly all of the bridges life.
Historic photo of the bridge, courtesy of Photolibrarian on Flickr
Underneath, a network of trails snake through the deep ravine. A pair of stone arches are set down here, although the origins are unknown.
The author has ranked the bridge as regionally significant due to its unique design, and great historic integrity. Preservation of this structure should be considered at all costs.
The photo above is an overview from the north end.