Thebes Bridge

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Thebes Bridge
Carries	Union Pacific, previously the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Illmo, Missouri and Thebes, Illinois
Design	Continuous truss bridge
Longest span	651 feet (198 m)
Total length	3,959 feet (1,207 m)
Clearance below	104 feet (32 m)
Opening date	April 18, 1905
Coordinates	37°13′00″N 89°28′01″W / 37.216667°N 89.46694°W / 37.216667; -89.46694

The Thebes Bridge is a truss bridge carrying the Union Pacific Railroad (previously carried the Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific, in a joint operation) across the Mississippi River between Illmo, Missouri and Thebes, Illinois. It is owned by the Southern Illinois and Missouri Bridge Company, now a UP subsidiary.^[1]

[edit] History

The Southern Illinois & Missouri Bridge Company (SIMBCO) was incorporated in Illinois on December 28, 1900. The bridge company owns a 2,750 foot steel truss and 1,157 foot concrete arched combination bridge over the Mississippi River near Thebes, Illinois. In addition the company owns 4.64 route miles of railroad track linking the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Companies when built. The Missouri Pacific and St. Louis Southwestern owned 2/5 of the SIMBCO common stock each when built and the Chicago and Eastern Illinois owned 1/5 share of the SIMBCO stock. The Chicago & Eastern Illinois sold its 1/5 interest in the SIMBCO stock to the Missouri Pacific in 1945.

[edit] References

• Cook, Richard J. (1987). The Beauty of Railroad Bridges in North America -- Then and Now. Golden West Books, California (USA). ISBN 0-87095-097-5. 

Moody's Steam Railroads 1949 by John Moody of Moody's Investor Service

[edit] See also

• List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

Bridges of Mississippi River Upstream Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Thebes Bridge Downstream Cairo I-57 Bridge