__NOTOC__ The Wabash Bridge carries one railroad track across the Mississippi River between

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Ma ...

, and Pike County, Illinois. Built by the

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary co ...

, the bridge is today owned by the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...

. On May 3, 1982, the towboat ''Northern King'' lost power in one engine while pushing 12 grain-filled barges in heavy currents. The craft struck a truss span, which collapsed into the river, entangling the tug and several barges and halting river traffic for nine hours. Three barges broke loose and drifted downstream, missing Mark Twain Memorial Bridge. The bridge, then owned by Norfolk and Western Railway, predecessor of the current owner, was repaired. Built as a

swing span A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...

, the bridge was converted in 1994 to a vertical

lift bridge A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and swi ...

to increase the width of the navigational channel. The vertical lift span was taken from a bridge over the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

at Florence, Alabama. To minimize the effect on river traffic, the new span was installed over the course of three days. Before the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge opened in 1936, the Wabash Bridge was also a

toll bridge A toll bridge is a bridge where a monetary charge (or ''toll'') is required to pass over. Generally the private or public owner, builder and maintainer of the bridge uses the toll to recoup their investment, in much the same way as a toll road ...

carrying

U.S. Route 36 U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west United States highway that travels approximately from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in ...

across the river.

Gallery

File:Norfolk Southern railroad bridge leading to Hannibal during 2008 flood.jpg, Bridge during

June 2008 Midwest floods The June 2008 Midwestern United States floods were flooding events which affected portions of the Midwestern United States. After months of heavy precipitation, a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke thro ...

. Normally, there is about 20 feet clearance below the bridge.Upper Mississippi River Navigation Charts - Map079-A

References

External links

Hannibal's HistoryAmerican Bridge projects - Hannibal
{{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place = Mississippi River , bridge = Wabash Bridge , bridge signs = ''Norfolk Southern Railway'' , upstream =

Quincy Memorial Bridge The Quincy Memorial Bridge is a truss bridge over the Mississippi River in Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. ...

, upstream signs = US 24

East , downstream = Mark Twain Memorial Bridge , downstream signs = I-72

Buildings and structures in Marion County, Missouri Bridges in Pike County, Illinois Railroad bridges in Missouri Railroad bridges in Illinois Bridges over the Mississippi River Norfolk Southern Railway bridges Wabash Railroad Vertical lift bridges in Missouri Vertical lift bridges in Illinois Former toll bridges in Illinois Former toll bridges in Missouri Truss bridges in the United States Interstate railroad bridges in the United States

Gallery

See also

References

External links