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Cairo Railroad Arch Bridge

Cairo Flood Gate Tunnel

Cairo Railroad Arch Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

Bridge Documented: July 3, 2021

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Facility Carried / Feature Intersected
Railroad (Canadian National) Over US-51 (Ohio River Scenic Byway)
Location
Cairo: Alexander County, Illinois: United States
Construction Date and Builder / Engineer
1903 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown
Rehabilitation Date
Not Available or Not Applicable
Main Span Length
60.0 Feet (18.3 Meters)
Structure Length
60.0 Feet (18.3 Meters)
Roadway Width
Not Available
Spans
1 Main Span(s)
Inventory Number
Not Applicable

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)
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Bridge Documentation

This fairly early concrete arch bridge is an impressive gateway into Cairo and is next to a historic riveted floodgate that was built in 1914 next to the bridge. This bridge is locally known as a tunnel due to its considerable arch width, 94 feet.

The construction of this arch bridge was complicated by the deep deck trusses of the previous bridge. The arch had to literally be built around the trusses of the previous truss bridge, which were carefully removed after the arch bridge was completed. Prior to removal of the truss, the truss members passed right through the concrete arch. See the linked historical article for more information.

The riveted steel plate floodgate is a counterweighted structure that remains in place today and was originally designed to be lowered into place during floods. The flood gate was built by Stupp Brothers Bridge and Iron Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The floodgate is no longer used. It would appear that modular flood control gates stored off-site would be hauled in and inserted into a slot into the abutment of another nearby bridge in the event of a major flood today. Photos of the floodgate are included in the photo gallery.

View Historical Article About This Bridge

Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction. This photo shows the arch centering (falsework).

Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction. This photo shows how the arch had to literally be built around the trusses of the previous truss bridge, which were carefully removed after the arch bridge was completed.

Above: View of floodgate.

 

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Photo Galleries and Videos: Cairo Railroad Arch Bridge

 

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Bridge Photo-Documentation

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A collection of overview and detail photos. This gallery features data-friendly, fast-loading photos in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
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Maps and Links: Cairo Railroad Arch Bridge

Coordinates (Latitude, Longitude):

Search For Additional Bridge Listings:

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

2021 National Bridge Inventory: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

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