Metropolis Bridge, Railway truss bridge in McCracken County, Kentucky, United States
Metropolis Bridge is a railway structure crossing the Ohio River that joins Metropolis, Illinois to McCracken County, Kentucky. The steel frame rises above the water in a truss design, stretching roughly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to link the two regions.
Construction started in 1914 under engineer Ralph Modjeski and the bridge opened for traffic in 1917. This railway project was an important engineering achievement that first linked the two river banks by rail at this location.
The bridge represents early 20th-century industrial development, connecting communities and supporting regional economic growth through railway transportation.
You can view and photograph the bridge from both sides of the Ohio River, especially from the riverside areas where the structure is most visible. The best vantage points are from the access areas along the shore, where you can see the steel framework clearly.
The bridge uses a special pin-connected truss system that was cutting-edge technology when built, allowing the main span to cross the river without any supporting columns in the middle. This engineering approach was an innovation for its time and made the long span possible.
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