Historic Bridges of the U.S. | MacArthur Bridge

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Photos

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Overall View Of Bridge And Mississippi River, From East River-Bank. View To Northwest

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Overall View Of Bridge And Mississippi River, From West River-Bank. View To Southeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Overall View Of Bridge And Mississippi River, From West River-Bluff. View To Southeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Through Truss Spans, From West Riverbank. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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S U.S. Highway 34 And East (Illinois) Approach To Bridge With East Bridge House In Right Foreground. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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U.S. Highway 34 And West (Iowa) Approach To Bridge With Toll Booth In Left Foreground. View To East

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Overall View Of Bridge, From South Approach Ramp. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Through Truss Spans, From South Approach Ramp. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Overall View Of Bridge, From West Riverbank. View To Southeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Overall View Of Bridge, With West Deck Truss Approach Span And Pier No. 1 In Foreground, From West Riverbank. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Through Truss Spans, From West Riverbank. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of Through Truss Spans And Piers No. 3, 4 And 5, From West Riverbank. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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East Deck Truss Approach Spans, From East Riverbank. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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East Deck Girder Approach Spans, From East Riverbank. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of East Deck Girder Approach Spans And Steel Cylinder Piers, From East Riverbank. View To Northwest

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of East Deck Girder Approach Spans And Steel Cylinder Piers, From East Riverbank. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of Lower Chords And Bottom Lateral Bracing Of West Deck Truss And Pier No. 2, From West Riverbank. View To East

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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West Deck Truss Approach Span And Piers No. 1 And 2, From West Riverbank. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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West Anchor Span Of Through Truss And Piers No. 2 And 3, From West Riverbank. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of West Anchor Span, Cantilever Arms And West Half Of Suspended Span Of Through Truss. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Upstream Detail Of Pier No. 3, Truss Tower And Cantilever Arms. View To Southeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Downstream Detail Of Pier No. 3, Truss Tower And Cantilever Arms. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Upstream Detail Of Pier No. 2 And Through And Deck Truss End Panels. View To Southeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Downstream Detail Of Pier No. 2 And Through And Deck Truss End Panels. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of Pier No. 2, Showing Through And Deck Truss Bearing Shoes. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Detail Of Steel Cylinder Pier For East Girder Approach Spans. View To Northwest

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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East Portal Of Through Truss. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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West Portal Of Through Truss. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Deck / Web / Lateral Bracing Detail Of Cantilever Arm Of Through Truss. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Light Standard Over Pedestrian Walkway. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Deck / Vertical / Upper Chord Detail Of Through Truss At Pin-Connected Expansion Joint Between Cantilever Arm And Suspended Span. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Strut / Upper Chord Detail At Pin-Connected Expansion Joint Between Cantilever Arm And Suspended Span. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Roadway Deck / Anchor Tower Detail. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Anchor Tower Bracing Detail. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Anchor Tower / Upper Chord Detail. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Diagonal Detail Of Cantilever Arm. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Diagonal Detail Of Cantilever Arm. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Diagonal / Portal Bracing Detail Of Cantilever Arm. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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End Post / Portal Bracing Detail Of Anchor Span. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Diagonal / Upper Chord Detail Of Cantilever Arm. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Diagonal / Upper Chord Detail Of Cantilever Arm. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Upper Chord / End Post Detail Of Anchor Span. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Strut / Upper Chord Detail Of Suspended Span. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Vertical / Strut / Upper Chord Detail Of Suspended Span. View To North

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Upper Chord / End Post Detail Of West Deck Truss Approach Span, Showing Floor Structure. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Upper Chord / Vertical Detail Of West Deck Truss Approach Span. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Lower Chord / Vertical Detail Of West Deck Truss Approach Span. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Toll Booth At West (Iowa) Approach To Bridge. View To Northeast

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Toll Booth At West (Iowa) Approach To Bridge. View To Northwest

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Toll Booth Detail At West (Iowa) Approach To Bridge. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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West Approach Ramps To Bridge. View To West

Photo by Clayton B. Fraser, October 1987, for HAER

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Photographic Copy Of Photograph (C. 1916; Original Print In Possession Of Macarthur Coffin, Burlington, Iowa). J.A. Macarthur

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Photographic Copy Of Photograph (November 1916; Original Print In Possession Of Burlington Public Library, Burlington, Iowa). Superstructural Erection On West Anchor Arm Of Bridge, With Bridge Office And Material Yard In Foreground

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Photographic Copy Of Photograph (January 1917; Original Print In Possession Of Macarthur Coffin, Burlington, Iowa). Superstructural Erection On West Cantilever Arm Of Bridge. Figure In Right Foreground May Be J.A. Macarthur

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Photographic Copy Of Photograph (January 1917; Original Print In Possession Of Macarthur Coffin, Burlington, Iowa). Superstructural Erection On Suspended Channel Span Of Bridge

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Photographic Copy Of Photograph (C. 1917; Original Print In Possession Of Macarthur Coffin, Burlington, Iowa). Macarthur Bridge Soon After Completion

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

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Map

Vicinity map

Map links:

Facts

Overview

Lost Bridge over Mississippi River on US 34 in Burlington

Status

Replaced by new bridge

History

Built 1916-17; Replaced 1994

Builders

- Green Construction Co.
- Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Design

"After decades of agitating by the citizens of Burlington, local businessman J.A. MacArthur formed the Citizens' Bridge Company in 1915 and erected this bridge, using an innovative financing plan. The structure was taken over by the City of Burlington in 1923 and has functioned as a toll bridge ever since. The MacArthur Bridge is historically significant as a regionally important crossing of the Mississippi River: the source of millions of dollars of revenue. It is technologically significant as the oldest cantilever truss and the oldest highway-only bridge remaining over the Mississippi.

"As delineated by Wisconsin Bridge and Iron, the west approach to the Citizens' Bridge began at High Street in Burlington...were eight plate girder spans, from 30 to 66 feet in length, supported by steel bents. A 140' Pratt deck truss began the bridge proper. The outer end of this span was carried by Pier No. 2, which also supportes the 260' west anchor arm of the cantilevered span. The main channel span was composed of two 132-foot cantilever arms, carrying a 216' suspended span. Beyond the east anchor arm was a seried of deck truss approach spans, ranging in length from 175' to 120'. These were joined by another set of plate girders that extended to the Illinois shore.

Clayton B. Fraser
Principal, FRASERdesign
Loveland, Colorado 80637
June 1988
`

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 216 ft.
Total length: 3,168 ft.
Deck width: 24 ft.

Also called

Citizens' Bridge

Approximate latitude, longitude

+40.81944, -91.10556 (decimal degrees)
40°49'10" N, 91°06'20" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

15/659763/4520440 (zone/easting/northing)

USGS topographic map

Burlington

Inventory number

BH 37318 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log

August 26, 2008: Added by J.R. Manning

Sources

J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
HAER IA-21 - MacArthur Bridge

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Comments

MacArthur Bridge

Posted October 8, 2008, by gpence61 (glenn [dot] pence [at] gmail [dot] com)

Does anyone have any information about the demolition of the MacArthur Bridge? If my memory is correct, the Great River Bridge (which replaced it) as opened in 1993, but I don't know when the Mighty Mac was demolished. Any further info would be appreciated..

gpence61