Newport Rail Bridge

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Rock Island Swing Bridge
The bridge in the open position, taken from the marina directly north of bridge.
Carries	One and a half lanes of Washington CSAH 22, CSAH 38, and Dakota CSAH 24 and one railroad track
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, St. Paul Park, Minnesota
Maintained by	Washington County, Minnesota
ID number	5600
Design	Double-deck through-truss swing span
Total length	1,661 feet (506 m)
Width	18 feet (5.5 m)
Longest span	442 feet (135 m)
Clearance below	19 feet (5.8 m)
AADT	3900 (in 1998 before closure)
Opened	1895
Closed	Closed to auto traffic in 1999, Demolition in March & April 2009 (still awaiting completion)
Toll	75 cents (time of closure)
Coordinates	44°51′12″N 93°00′32″W / 44.85333°N 93.00889°W / 44.85333; -93.00889

The Rock Island Swing Bridge was a swing bridge that spanned the Mississippi River between Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and St. Paul Park, Minnesota. It also is known as the Newport Rail Bridge, as it has a spur to Newport, Minnesota, and J.A.R. bridge. after previous owners Joan and Al Roman of Chicago. It was one of the few double-decker bridges on the Mississippi, with the top level formerly used for railroad traffic and the bottom level formerly used as a road crossing. It also was one of a few toll bridges in Minnesota, and one of the last remaining ones. It closed to rail traffic in 1980, and road traffic in 1999, when the toll was 75 cents.

[edit] History

It was built in 1895 by Pittsburgh Bridge Company. The bridge originally was built for the South St. Paul Beltline Railroad to connect stockyards in nearby South St. Paul, Minnesota to the mail rail lines of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy, and Milwaukee Road that run on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Washington County, Minnesota.^[1]

The bridge was formerly owned by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad until that line went bankrupt in 1980, first as a toll bridge until 1938, then as a free bridge. After that, local automotive traffic had to detour 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north to the Wakota Bridge or 18 miles (29 km) south to the Hastings High Bridge. Until the first Wakota Bridge was built in 1959, it was the only Mississippi crossing between Downtown St. Paul and Hastings, Minnesota.

There is some evidence that gangster John Dillinger fled across the bridge into Inver Grove Heights after a running gun battle with Dakota County deputies in Newport and St. Paul Park.^[1][2]

Al Roman of Chicago bought the bridge and reopened it in 1982. This required special legislation for an individual to own a bridge, and it became one fo the few toll bridges in Minnesota. In 1999, an inspection revealed that the bridge had a bad beam, so it is now closed to automobile traffic. The estimated replacement cost was at least $11 million. J.A.R Bridge, Inc eventually requested Washington County help fund a thorough inspection in hopes that a buyer could be found, but Washington County was not receptive to the idea, feeling that the bridge was so old there was no point putting any more money into it and if there was a need for a crossing in the area they should look at building a new one. At that point Roman owed $6500 in back taxes, with no prospect of being able to reopen he stopped paying taxes altogether and the bridge was seized. Washington County was handed management in 2003.

As of June 2006, Washington County, Minnesota, officials had studied the removal of the bridge. County engineer Don Theisen called the bridge "a rusty bucket of bolts" and said that it had been impeding barge traffic. Estimated removal costs were said to be $5 million.^[3]

The eastern span was directly adjacent to a large Marathon Oil refinery in Saint Paul Park.^[1] Washington County turned the eastern approach road over to the refinery, and it was soon blocked off. With the local construction of the Wakota Bridge project in Saint Paul Park and Newport, both of the Washington County Roads (22 and 38) had their paths changed and now no longer approach the bridge, and the local roads have also been changed and gates now block the former streets leading to the area. There was the possibility of using part of the the western fixed span as a pedestrian outlook of the river as it is near a proposed park, and public tours of the western span were held on October 25, 2008 to bring awareness to this issue. ^[1][4]

The bridge was set for demolition in Winter 2009/2010. However, on November 24, 2008, all access to the bridge was prohibited after a 200-foot segment of the eastern span collapsed onto the riverbank.^[5]

Within two months of the collapse on the eastern span, a contractor was quickly found to demolish it. Demolition of the bridge began on March 3, 2009. The eastern span was removed first (most likely to end the refinery's hassle dealing with it). Following the demolition of the eastern span, the swing span of the bridge was briefly closed for a few days, marking the first time in 10 years it was closed. Over the months of March and April the swing span was slowly demolished, leaving only the bridge closing mechanism in the river. Four sections of the western span have been removed, and two still remain, with no clear date of demolition known. ^[6]

Last ditch efforts are being made to save as much of the bridge as possible,^[7] and because of this, a moratorium has been put into affect prohibiting further demolition until May 2011.^[8]

[edit] See also

• List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

[edit] References

• Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4. 
• "National Bridge Inventory". http://nationalbridges.com. Retrieved 2006-05-26. 
• Megan, Boldt (2006-06-07). "Officials consider toll bridge's demise". St. Paul Pioneer Press. http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/14757285.htm. Retrieved 2006-06-08. 
• "Washington County Board Meeting 2000-10-03". http://www.co.washington.mn.us/client_files/documents/com/BdMin-2000//COM-BdMin001003.pdf. Retrieved 2007-04-12. 
• Pictures of Rock Island Bridge

Bridges of Mississippi River Upstream Wakota Bridge Rock Island Swing Bridge Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Downstream Hastings High Bridge