The most iconic railroad bridge in downtown Saint Paul is this structure, which crosses the Mississippi River at an angle under Robert Street .
Built in 1913 to replace a previous through truss swing bridge built in 1885, the current bridge features a massive Pratt Through Truss vertical lift span, which is approached by eight deck girder spans on the south. In 1955, a series of steel stringer spans were added to span Warner Road. The entire bridge rests on concrete substructures.
To meet the rail line on the north side, it was decided to raise the bridge in 1925. The bridge has seen very little other alteration since construction, apart from the addition of north approach spans. The main towers of the bridge contain large concrete counterweights, which can lower and raise the bridge. Unfortunately, the northern tower is in poor condition, with severe deterioration of the concrete substructure.
Overall, this bridge appears to be in fair condition. Significant section was noted on portions of the approaches and main span, with the worst deterioration on the north tower.
Historic postcard of the previous bridge
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the uncommon nature of the vertical lift span. Waddell & Herrington was an internationally known company, particularly known for building large vertical lift spans. In addition, this bridge is the northernmost vertical lift span over the Mississippi River.
These types of spans were rather unpopular on the Upper Mississippi River. A majority of the bridges north of Minneapolis featured short fixed spans, while bridges between Minneapolis and St. Louis generally featured swing spans. Vertical lift spans have increased in popularity since the 1950s, and are oftentimes used to replace older swing spans.
Unfortunately for this bridge, permitting and a historic review have been initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2021. It is believed this bridge will be replaced in the near future.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Omaha Bridge #15 |
| Downstream | South St. Paul Swing Bridge |
