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| Name | CIC Iowa Avenue Bridge |
| Built By | Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Byron J. Lambert of Iowa City, Iowa |
| Length | 108 Feet Total, 25 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet 5 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1920 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/11/2013; 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 near the Old State Capitol in Iowa City, this attractive steel stringer bridge carries the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway mainline over Iowa Avenue. When the CIC was first constructed, the railroad crossed the Iowa River using a steel girder bridge, with lengthy timber pile trestle approaches crossing Riverside Drive (then Templin Road) and Iowa Avenue. In the 1920s, Iowa City and the CIC worked together to improve underpasses near the University of Iowa campus. An agreement between the two parties to fill the south approach trestle and construct a new underpass at Iowa Avenue was reached in early 1920. The present structure was constructed during the 1920 construction season. Currently, the bridge consists of five steel stringer spans, with 25-foot spans over each roadway, a 20-foot center span and 19-foot and 14-foot spans at the ends. The entire bridge is set onto concrete substructures, runs at a heavy skew and is constructed on a sharp curve. The superstructure follows an unusual design, with two shallow stringers and a trough deck floor. This style of floor (also known as a "buckle plate floor") became popular for grade separations in Chicago in the early 20th Century, and was used by many railroads throughout the United States. Rivets in the superstructure use both rounded and square designs, likely indicating some alterations. The substructures also use an unusual design with many decorative elements. The piers consist of standard rectangular structures, which are offset to account for the skew and curve of the bridge. These piers have decorative paneling stamps and decorative Hawkeye logo stamps. The abutments use sloped wing walls, and also have decorative paneling stamps. An unknown contractor fabricated the superstructure, which was reportedly delivered in early 1920. 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. One newspaper report states that Lambert employed a number of engineering students to complete construction of the bridge. Lambert also designed and constructed the nearby Iowa Field underpass, in addition to having designed the Iowa Avenue and Burlington Street bridges across the Iowa River. Steel stringer spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen minor alterations, such as strengthening of the superstructure. Today, the bridge remains in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some cracking and spalling noted throughout the substructure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date and builder (substructure) | Iowa City Daily Press; April 20, 1920 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |