Second Hannibal Bridge, Railroad bridge in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Second Hannibal Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the Missouri River in Kansas City with two railroad tracks and a movable swing span section in its middle. It connects Jackson County and Clay County while remaining an active transportation route for freight trains operated by BNSF Railway.
This bridge was built in 1917 to replace the original crossing and enable continued railway service across the river. An upper deck for vehicle traffic was removed in 1956 after serving for decades.
The bridge construction strengthened Kansas City's position as a major transportation center, influencing regional commerce and industrial development patterns.
The bridge remains in active freight service and the swing span operates under the supervision of bridge operators when river traffic needs to pass. You can view it from nearby roads and parks but cannot walk across the structure itself.
Four river boats broke loose during the 1951 Kansas City flood and struck the bridge forcing the swing span to open in emergency conditions. The incident demonstrated how quickly the structure needed manual intervention from bridge operators during extreme events.
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