![]() For further connectivity, the bridge connects with the Mississippi River Trail in Iowa and the Great River Trail in Illinois-and all three are hosts for the cross-country Great American Rail-Trail. Built in 1896, it is the fourth and final iteration of the first Mississippi River crossing ever completed.Īlso known as the Arsenal Bridge due to its connection to the Rock Island Arsenal, the bridge comprises two levels: an upper deck with two railway lines and a lower deck for automobiles, walkers and bicyclists. #Knox and kane railroad story fullGovernment Bridge (Illinois and Iowa) Government Bridge connecting Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois | Courtesy Joetography LLC | CC BY-NC 2.0īetween Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa, is the Government Bridge-a 1,854-foot-long structure capable of swinging a full 360 degrees to accommodate traffic on the Mississippi River. The 148-foot-tall, 0.25-mile-long historic railroad bridge provides sweeping views of the river and the wider area, where multiple major ecological systems meet, including tall grass, mixed grass and Sandhill prairielands. Perhaps the most well-known trestle of the route can be found in the section that begins in Valentine and crosses over the Niobrara National Scenic River. The trail is also a gateway of the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail ®, which will one day connect Washington, D.C., and Washington State. The developing 200-miles-plus Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail is one of the country’s longest rail-trails, connecting seven counties in Nebraska and comprising 200+ bridges that provide crucial passage along the former Chicago and Northwestern Railway corridor. Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail (Nebraska) Cowboy Trail along the Niobrara River near Valentine, Nebraska | Photo by Eric Foster Anthony Falls and is a National Historical Civil Engineering landmark. Of note: The bridge was built with a 6-degree curve at its west end to enable its work around St. The stone arch bridge is one of the earliest examples of the impact of TE/TA, which has supported 40,000+ trails and walking and bicycling projects to date. Together with the Recreational Trails Program, TA is the nation’s legacy federal funding program for trails and active transportation. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail along the Mississippi River-was transformed into a pedestrian and bicycle path in the 1990s, thanks in part to a $2 million grant through Transportation Enhancements (TE, now known as Transportation Alternatives, or TA). Anthony Falls Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis-a key link in the St. Anthony Falls Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Photo by Wayne Hsieh | CC BY-NC 2.0īuilt in 1883 for the Great Northern Railroad, the St. Anthony Falls Stone Arch Bridge (Minneapolis, Minnesota) St. Here, we take a look at 20 iconic bridges and trestles in the United States (in no particular order) that have played-or are playing-transformative connectivity roles in their regions.įor a more in-depth look at the impact of some of these hallmark connectors, check out Rails to Trails magazine’s Spring/Summer 2022 cover story, “ Bridge to Everywhere.” St. Special acknowledgements to: Kevin Belanger, Ken Bryan, Marianne Wesley Fowler, Ben Kaufman, Kevin Mills, Yvonne Mwangi, Eric Oberg, Anya Saretzky and Tom Sexton for their assistance with this piece.Īcross the country, bridges are literally serving as gateways for communities to achieve critical strides in active transportation, conservation and economic development. ![]()
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