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| Name | CIC Old Washington Street Bridge Iowa Field Bridge |
| Built By | Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway |
| Contractor | Byron J. Lambert of Iowa City, Iowa |
| Length | 60 Feet Total, 20 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Concrete Encased Beam |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1921 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 9/10/2017 |
In the late 19th Century, electric interurban railways became popular throughout the United States, particularly in suburban and rural areas. In rural areas, the interurban represented a reliable form of transportation, independent of the steam railroads. In 1903, the Dows & Smith Electrified Interurban Railway (D&SEIR) began an electrified interurban line between Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa. The company was reorganized as the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Southwestern at some point in 1903. By early 1904, the company was reorganized as the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway (CIC), which completed the 27-mile electrified line that year. The CIC was owned by the Iowa Railway & Light Company, a common practice at the time. While the railroad was popular with passangers, it also quickly expanded freight business by interchanging with various steam railroads at both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. The railroad was also well placed, serving student traffic attending the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
In 1914, the railroad began seeking an expansion to Davenport, Iowa; where it could connect with other interurban lines and freight railroads. A short 17-mile line was constructed that year, reaching Lisbon, Iowa from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Due to a low volume of business, the line was abandoned in 1928. While other railroads were struggling to maintain passenger service by the 1930s, the CIC maintained a solid passenger base into the 1950s. Passenger operations were discontinued in 1953, and the railroad was converted to diesel power to streamline freight operations. By the early 1980s, the CIC was a successful short line railroad, and purchased abandoned branches of both the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) and Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road). Today, CIC continues to see strong revenue and operates the entire Cedar Rapids to Iowa City line to serve freight traffic.
Located in Iowa City, this concrete encased beam bridge carries the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway mainline over a former alignment of Washington Street. In the 1920s, Iowa City and the CIC worked together to improve underpasses near the University of Iowa campus. In early 1921, it was decided to construct an underpass at the entrance to Iowa Field at Washington Street. Since Iowa Field was the stadium where the University of Iowa football team played, it was decided to make the bridge an attractive structure. Work was completed during the 1921 construction season, and the bridge opened for use later that year. Iowa Field was replaced by the present Kinnick Stadium in 1929, and Iowa Field was soon demolished. The decorative elements of the bridge were removed sometime in the mid-20th Century, giving the bridge its present configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of three 20-foot concrete encased beam spans, set onto concrete substructures. The superstructure follows an unusual design, with the beam portions directly under the tracks and concrete walkways extending out from the central beam portion. The substructures appear to have been constructed monolithically with the superstructure, and use a standard rectangular design with diagonal sloped wing walls at the abutments. The contract for design and construction was awarded to Byron J. Lambert, who was the head of the Engineering Department at University of Iowa between 1901 and 1944. It is unclear how this arrangement worked, although it is possible that Lambert employed local labor and rented equipment required for construction. Lambert also designed and constructed the nearby Iowa Avenue underpass, in addition to having designed the Iowa Avenue and Burlington Street bridges across the Iowa River. Concrete encased beam spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable, easy to construct and were generally more attractive than steel bridges. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen a handful of alterations, including the removal of the decorative elements of the bridge and minor concrete repairs. Today, it remains in regular use and crosses a walkway to a parking lot. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition, with significant spalling throughout the structure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Iowa City Press-Citizen; June 30, 1921 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |