CIC Iowa River Bridge (North)

Located north of Iowa Avenue in Iowa City, this deck plate girder bridge carries the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway over the Iowa River. Much of this bridge dates to when the CIC first constructed in Iowa City. Work on the bridge began in late 1903, and was completed in early 1904. Initially, the bridge consisted of four deck plate girder spans, set onto steel cylinder piers and approached by lengthy timber pile trestle approaches at either end. In 1920, the south approach was largely filled, and a new bridge was constructed over Iowa Avenue. In 1929, the north approach was largely filled, and a new bridge was constructed over Riverside Drive (then Templin Road). The bridge remained in this configuration until 1958-59, when the bridge received an extensive makeover. As part of the work, new concrete abutments were constructed, the steel cylinder piers were encased in concrete and the remaining approach trestles were filled. In addition, the girder spans were strengthened, and new concrete box culverts were constructed at either end to carry sidewalks under the tracks.

Currently, the bridge consists of four 75-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete abutments and concrete encased steel cylinder piers. While the bridge is located near the middle of a sharp curve, the bridge itself is not constructed at a curve. The superstructure follows a standard design, with two heavy plate girders per span and an open deck. The substructure uses an unusual design, with rounded rectangular piers, rounded abutments and sloped wing walls. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, while the steel cylinder piers were fabricated and constructed by the J.E. Jayne & Sons Bridge Company. The concrete substructures were constructed by the Amos Melberg Company. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Of the three major crossings of the Iowa and Cedar Rivers constructed for the CIC, this is the last remaining original structure. Since the 1958-59 reconstruction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, and today remains in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.