This bridge is one of the three unique Milwaukee Road swing bridges.
In the namesake city of the Milwaukee Road, three bobtail style swing spans were built. Of these, this is the middle one, crossing the Menomonee River near Plankinton Avenue.
This bridge is built on concrete substructures, and is approached by a single concrete slab span. The bridge opened in 1904.
During recreational boating season, it opens almost regularly for commercial and private boats alike.
Utilizing a bobtail design takes a specific skill of engineering. The bridge has to perfectly balance on the pivot point, meaning use of a counterweight is typically needed.
Bridgehunter.com has a list of 13 railroad bobtail swing spans. Of these, eight were built for the Milwaukee Road.
The swing span is also a 6 panel riveted through truss with a warren design and an M-Frame portal. The center is a simple tower connecting the two leafs of the bridge, one with five panels, the other with three.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the rarity of bobtail spans such as this.
Instead, the angle above is from 1st Street. The bridge can be seen from nearby roads.
| Upstream | Burnham Bridge |
| Downstream | Confluence with Milwaukee River |