Carries Single rail track Address Dubuque, IA 52001, USA Bridge type Truss bridge | Opened December 1868 Location Dubuque Carry Single-track railway | |
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Design Truss Bridge with Swing-span Similar Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge, Julien Dubuque Bridge, Dubuque Star Brewery, Shot Tower, Lock and Dam No 11 | ||
The Dubuque Rail Bridge carries a single rail line across the Mississippi River between Dubuque, Iowa, and East Dubuque, Illinois, near river mile 580.
It is currently operated by Canadian National Railway. as a result of their 1999 purchase of Illinois Central Railroad.
History
The original swing bridge was constructed by Andrew Carnegie and operated by the Dunleith & Dubuque Bridge Company opening in December 1868, primarily used by the Illinois Central Railroad.
The Dubuque Rail Bridge was rebuilt in the 1890s and has 5 spans and a swing-span. Because of a 150-foot bluff very close to the Mississippi riverbank on the Illinois side, the railroad tracks enter a 1/4-mile tunnel that curves 90-degrees to the south to allow trains to proceed along the tracks adjacent to the river south of the bridge.