Wabash Bridge, Railroad bridge over Mississippi River in Hannibal, United States.
The Wabash Bridge is a railroad bridge that crosses the Mississippi River near Hannibal. The structure contains five truss sections with a movable lift span that opens to allow boat traffic to pass through.
The bridge was completed in 1871 by the Wabash Railroad and originally carried both trains and vehicles across the river. After the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge opened in 1936, it became dedicated to freight rail traffic only.
The bridge stands as a testament to American railway engineering, connecting the agricultural regions of Illinois with Missouri's transportation network.
The bridge carries regular freight trains operated by Norfolk Southern Railway and is not open to public foot traffic. The best views come from the riverbanks or nearby streets in town.
The lifting mechanism came from a bridge in Florence, Alabama and was installed in just three days in 1994. This swift retrofitting demonstrates the efficiency of modern bridge engineering.
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