During pleasant weather DH and I drive on Wisconsin Highway 35 following the Mississippi River along western Wisconsin. Although DH is quite good about indulging my photographic whims, he refuses to jam on the brakes while travelling in traffic. I took both photos from the car and am happy with the result. My contribution to Louis' bridges meme is this wonderful rail bridge described below.
| Hastings Rail Bridge | |
|---|---|
 A view of the Hastings Rail Bridge from the west. | |
| Carries | One track of the Canadian Pacific Railway |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Hastings, Minnesota |
| Maintained by | Canadian Pacific Railway |
| ID number | L-268 |
| Design | Lift bridge |
| Total length | 1,755 feet (535 m) |
| Width | One track |
| Longest span | 324 feet (99 m) |
| Clearance below | 60 feet (18 m) (span lifted), 21.9 feet (6.7 m) (span down) |
| Opened | 1981 |
| Coordinates | 44°44′48″N 92°50′52″W |
Hastings Rail Bridge is a lift bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota. It is one of only three lift spans on the Mississippi River, the others being at Hannibal, Missouri, and in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. It was built in 1981 by Milwaukee Road and was designed by Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff.
It crosses the Mississippi river in a north/south orientation from Hastings just upstream of Point Douglas, where the Saint Croix River empties into the Mississippi river. In addition to CP Rail traffic, the bridge also carries Amtrak's Empire Builder across the river.
Another nearby lift bridge is the Prescott BNSF lift bridge, in Prescott, Wisconsin that crosses the St. Croix River. The two tracks converge at the St. Croix.
(Credit: Wikipedia)
(Credit: Wikipedia)
To see more bridges, go here.
