Westbound Z-train from Willow Springs, IL, to Alliance, TX, is crossing the massive Mississippi River Bridge at Fort Madison. The train is also crossing into the state of Iowa from Illinois. In about 3 miles this crew out of Corwith Yard in Chicago will stop and change crews with a KC bound crew. A barge that had the railroad shutdown for about 15 minute heads north in the distance.
This bridge was built in 1927 and replaced the original combination roadway/single-track bridge completed in 1887. The bridge is owned by the BNSF and logs around 2,000 openings a year. The bridge is about a mile long with a swing span of 525 feet. The bridge cost $3.00 toll for westbound cars only.
