The original swing bridge was constructed by Andrew Carnegie and operated by the Dunleith & Dubuque Bridge Company. Going into service in December 1868,[1] it primarily was used by the Illinois Central Railroad. It was rebuilt in the 1890s.
Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River connecting the cities of St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois. It is located on the St. Louis riverfront between Laclede's Landing, to the north, and the grounds of the Gateway Arch, to the south. The bridge is named for its designer and builder, James Buchanan Eads.
The first bridge only lasted until 1866, when it was considered inadequate for the ever-increasing loads carried by the railroad. It was replaced by a heavier wooden structure, which reused the original piers.
The first crossing of the Raritan at this point was wooden bridge on masonry substructure, constructed in 1838 by the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company. It was a 1,577 feet (481 m) long double-deck Howe truss bridge with a highway on the lower deck. The 146 feet (45 m)-foot long draw span was renewed in 1872.[1]