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Cedar Rapids Rail Bridge

Pratt Through Truss Bridge over Cedar River
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Cedar Rapids Rail Bridge
Built By Chicago & North Western Railway
Contractor Detroit Bridge & Iron Works of Detroit
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 755 Feet Total, 150 Foot Spans
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Water 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Pin Connected Pratt Through Truss
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1898
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
C&NW Bridge Number 202
Significance High Significance
Documentation Date December 2012 and March 2017
A brief history of the Chicago & North Western Iowa Division mainline, now part of the Overland Route:


01/14/22


This bridge was the original crossing of the Cedar River for the C&NW mainline. It was bypassed to the south in 1887, although a new signature double track was built here in 1887.
Originally built in 1898, the bridge contains a quintet of 6-panel Pratt Through Trusses with pinned connections. These double track trusses are built using a standardized design created by the Chicago & North Western. These spans rest on stone substructures.
The intricate and ornate features of the bridge indicate a desire by the C&NW for the bridge to seem really important. However, no other bridges of this style were known to be built.
This bridge amazingly survived the flood of 2008 with minimal damage, and was one of few railroad bridges on the lower portion of the Cedar to do so.
The bridge is named the Quaker Oats Bridge as it is right next to the plant, a major landmark. The bridge is also extremely identifiable for traffic coming through the area. It is commonly seen from I-380/IA-27, welcoming people to downtown Cedar Rapids.
Overall, the bridge remains in good condition despite the flood that nearly destroyed it. A huge amount of industry sits along this line, giving Union Pacific a reason to continue operating it.

Historic Photo
Historic photo of the bridge. Credit to PhotoLibrarian on Flickr, used with Creative Commons permission.

The author has ranked this bridge as being highly significant, due to the landmark status and the survival of a number of bad floods.
The photo above is looking from the west bank. The east bank is impossible to access the bridge from.

Cedar River Railroad Bridges
Upstream MILW Cedar River Bridge (Old)
Downstream CRandIC Cedar River Bridge (New)

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Date plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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