__NOTOC__ The Wabash Bridge carries one railroad track across the Mississippi River between Hannibal, Missouri, and Pike County, Illinois. Built by the Wabash Railroad, the bridge is today owned by the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

. On May 3, 1982, the towboat ''Northern King'' lost power in one engine while pushing 12 grain-filled barges in heavy currents. The craft struck a truss span, which collapsed into the river, entangling the tug and several barges and halting river traffic for nine hours. Three barges broke loose and drifted downstream, missing Mark Twain Memorial Bridge. The bridge, then owned by

Norfolk and Western Railway The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...

, predecessor of the current owner, was repaired. Built as a

swing span A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...

, the bridge was converted in 1994 to a vertical lift bridge to increase the width of the navigational channel. The vertical lift span was taken from a bridge over the Tennessee River at

Florence, Alabama Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner. It is situated along the Tennessee River and is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest college in the st ...

. To minimize the effect on river traffic, the new span was installed over the course of three days. Before the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge opened in 1936, the Wabash Bridge was also a toll bridge carrying U.S. Route 36 across the river.

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File:Norfolk Southern railroad bridge leading to Hannibal during 2008 flood.jpg, Bridge during June 2008 Midwest floods. Normally, there is about 20 feet clearance below the bridge.Upper Mississippi River Navigation Charts - Map079-A

References

External links

Hannibal's HistoryAmerican Bridge projects - Hannibal
{{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place = Mississippi River , bridge = Wabash Bridge , bridge signs = ''Norfolk Southern Railway'' , upstream =

Quincy Memorial Bridge The Quincy Memorial Bridge is a truss bridge over the Mississippi River in Quincy, Illinois. It brings eastbound U.S. Highway 24 into the city of Quincy from Missouri. It was built in 1930, initially as a toll bridge, and remains structurally so ...

, upstream signs = US 24

East , downstream = Mark Twain Memorial Bridge , downstream signs = I-72

Buildings and structures in Marion County, Missouri Bridges in Pike County, Illinois Railroad bridges in Missouri Railroad bridges in Illinois Bridges over the Mississippi River Norfolk Southern Railway bridges Wabash Railroad Vertical lift bridges in Missouri Vertical lift bridges in Illinois Former toll bridges in Illinois Former toll bridges in Missouri Truss bridges in the United States Interstate railroad bridges in the United States

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References

External links