Property Record
Railroad over Kinnickinnic River, just W of Kinnickinnic Ave.
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul RR Swing Bridge |
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| Other Name: | Kinnickinnic River Swing Bridge |
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| Reference Number: | 29253 |
| Location (Address): | Railroad over Kinnickinnic River, just W of Kinnickinnic Ave. |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1908 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 20112023 |
| Historic Use: | bridge |
| Architectural Style: | NA (unknown or not a building) |
| Structural System: | Swing Bridge |
| Wall Material: | Metal |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 2023: This bobtail swing bridge is of riveted steel construction and employs an overhead truss design that is somewhat unique in that the majority of the truss is comprised of traditional heavy steel chords with lighter, thinner steel members at the southern end of the truss. Its single span measures approximately 200 feet in length and carries dual railroad tracks over the Kinnickinnic River. Concrete piers and abutments support the structure at either end. As a bobtail swing bridge, the pivot point of the span (a circular drum upon which the span rotates) is located at the southern end of the structure, although no distinct counterweight above this appears to be visible. An operator’s shed is located along the east side of the bridge. The bridge is notable as one of Milwaukee’s remaining examples of a bobtail swing railroad bridge, a bridge design especially preferred by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad during the height of its operations and one that is a nationally rare bridge type. 2011- Resurveyed; appearance unchanged. Note that two railroad swing bridges over the Kinnickinnic River are visible in the 1979 photo. The bridge in the foreground was removed between 1995 and 2000. The bridge in the background is extant as of 2020. moveable bridge |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |