Sioux City Iowa, Combination Bridge.
As built, 4 major spans:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnicholasangelo.com%2Fimages%2FIG5374-1.jpg&hash=6e6db2267da36487e0d70cab3e2a0f7888ecd5cc)
When demolished in 1980 (and for many years before, it was only 3 spans. Don't that beat all ???
:wow:
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8092014920_8269f16ed6_z.jpg)
Here's another pic of the 4 spans:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siouxcityhistory.org%2Fimages%2Fstories%2Fhistoric_facts%2Ftransportation%2FBridge3.jpg&hash=04427c3bf3efc6be010432ee6f4f4455d732eb1e)
Originally, there were two swing spans–one on the Nebraska side and the other on the Iowa side. The Iowa swing span fell into disuse by the 1920s, and it was removed in 1957 to make way for I-29 on land reclaimed from the Missouri River.
From page 38 (http://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/ia/ia0000/ia0082/data/ia0082data.pdf):
QuoteIn August, 1957 the Iowa swing span was opened for the first time since 1929 - the river having long since abandoned the channel on the Iowa shore. It was swung so that Interstate 29 could be finished. Since a cloverleaf interchange was designed to occupy the land occupied by the span, the August swinging was the last for the Iowa span.
Nice to know why.
Still, how many bridges elsewhere have been shortened and are still in use ?
Loping off 25% of the Golden Gate Bridge wouldn't leave a useful bridge, and virtually every other bridge would be ruined too.
Pretty wild this one is apparently unique in remaining useful after being circumcised . . .
:-D
Cincinnati's Western Hills Viaduct (http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/westernhills.html)
A 180 foot section of the Murray Baker Bridge truss was removed during the Upgrade 74 (https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0074il) project in Peoria, Illinois.
The westbound span of the Blanchette Bridge (https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0070mo) for Interstate 70 in Missouri was shortened slightly when the eastern most section was elevated onto an embankment.
Found a better pic of the span that was removed for I-29.
I can see it didn't really retain any functionality at that point as a swing span for paddle wheel steam boats.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cardcow.com%2Fimages%2Fset76%2Fcard00024_fr.jpg&hash=f0343d0aa5400b137747ffabc7f544608d40df66)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.careypostcards.com%2F9324-large_default%2Fsioux-city-ia-combination-bridge.jpg&hash=56f072e9881c317f875ecc7547428f8c01254226)
Here's a view looking northward over the span that was subsequently removed.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flcweb2.loc.gov%2Fpnp%2Fhabshaer%2Fia%2Fia0000%2Fia0082%2Fphotos%2F069186pv.jpg&hash=d336e51e380b0b89672069464b991f54cf349075)
Here's an interesting view of a feature not seen on too many bridges; a wall preventing the horses from seeing the trains crossing the bridge next to them and not being alarmed and going berserk and jumping off the bridge.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/IOWA_APPROACH_TO_THE_COMBINATION_BRIDGE_SHOWING_THE_TOLL_HOUSE_AND_TWO_STREETCARS._-_Pacific_Shortline_Bridge%2C_U.S._Route_20%2Cspanning_Missouri_River%2C_Sioux_City%2C_Woodbury_HAER_IOWA%2C97-SIOCI%2C1-93.tif/lossy-page1-750px-thumbnail.tif.jpg)
And constructing it:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Completing_the_Iowa_Draw_Span%2C_late_September%2C_1895%3B_seen_from_Prospect_Hill._-_Pacific_Shortline_Bridge%2C_U.S._Route_20%2Cspanning_Missouri_River%2C_Sioux_City%2C_Woodbury_County%2C_IA_HAER_IOWA%2C97-SIOCI%2C1-61.tif/lossy-page1-757px-thumbnail.tif.jpg)
Also a curiosity;
as built, the combination bridges 4 spans measured ~ 1940'. 60 miles south, the C&NW RR bridge at Blair (now UPRR) has 3 main spans measuring ~ 990 feet. Looks like the builders in Sioux City picked (for the time) a freakishly wide spot in the Missouri to place their bridge.
LOL, just thought of this, we now have a few examples of bridges being made shorter in length;
can anyone think of a bridge that has been lowered in height ??
Quote from: Jardine on May 10, 2016, 11:05:27 AM
can anyone think of a bridge that has been lowered in height ??
There's only one that I'm aware of, and it was both shortened and lowered: the Douglass Bridge in Washington, over the Anacostia River to the SW of the Navy Yard / Nationals Park. This was done as part of a rehab project in 2007, and its first at-grade intersection in DC was moved three blocks south from O St (removal) to Potomac Ave (lowering). There's some good information on this along with a before / after photo archive here: http://www.jdland.com/dc/southcapbridge.cfm
Appreciate that.
Now, if only they had extended the other end, we'd have a trifecta; lowered, shortened and lengthened.
:bigass:
Quote from: briantroutman on May 05, 2016, 01:31:28 AM
Originally, there were two swing spans–one on the Nebraska side and the other on the Iowa side. The Iowa swing span fell into disuse by the 1920s, and it was removed in 1957 to make way for I-29 on land reclaimed from the Missouri River.
From page 38 (http://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/ia/ia0000/ia0082/data/ia0082data.pdf):
QuoteIn August, 1957 the Iowa swing span was opened for the first time since 1929 - the river having long since abandoned the channel on the Iowa shore. It was swung so that Interstate 29 could be finished. Since a cloverleaf interchange was designed to occupy the land occupied by the span, the August swinging was the last for the Iowa span.
VERY much appreciate the reference, so informative about a very interesting bridge.
After reading of the reconfiguration in '61, I think I recall it. I would have been around 4, and although our trips to Sioux City were infrequent, my dad would have been familiar with the work on the bridge, and would have talked about on our next crossing of it.
A single track RR bridge with a pedestrian walkway outside the overhead steel work on one side, and a horse carriageway on the opposite side being converted (eventually) to a 4 lane (albeit oddly configured) hiway bridge is pretty amazing.
I do recall the metal grid deck, it had that in common with the Blair hiway 30 bridge and the Decatur bridge too. I recall dad usually crossed from Iowa to Nebraska on the overhang, and we usually returned on the inside lane.
Our trips to Sioux City were usually to find a tractor part or some obscure supplement for the farm animals, LOL. Mom had little interest in Sioux City prior to the mall on the south side being constructed.
I loved seeing the pics of the original 4 span configuration of the bridge too, I'm big on symmetry, and it's a shame we can't preserve such large historical items.
Also, have other single track RR bridges been converted to 2 lane hiway bridges internal to the steel work ?
That bridge near Key West was just to darn narrow and they had to go above, this one was built just barely wide enough for a 2 lane hiway; seems like this bridge is just a really unusual structure in many ways.
Well, found a bridge with 2 opposing lanes inside the steel work, and overhangs carrying one lane (and bike/ped) on either side.
Hawthorne Bridge crossing Willamette River, Portland Oregon, nice looking,(but scary) structure:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia7.trover.com%2FT%2F511f8d8a26c48d7bb3000190%2Ffixedw_large_4x.jpg&hash=9f0cac84c809bde555aeda324b051dc373454c87)
In Baltimore, the proposed reconstruction of I-895 east of the tunnel (Canton Viaduct) is supposed to have far fewer bridge sections than it does now. One reason is there are fewer railroads than there were when the highway was first built. From http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-895-construction-20141113-story.html (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-895-construction-20141113-story.html):
QuoteA total of 65 bridge piers will be removed from under the highway section and ramp, and 37 new piers will be constructed. Parts of the viaduct, which passes over city streets and railroad tracks, will be brought onto solid ground through backfilling, eliminating the need for so many piers.
In New York City, the reconstruction of the Kosciuszko between Brooklyn and Queens seems to have more earthen fill sections than the old bridge.