Hannibal Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Hannibal Bridge


caption= Hannibal Bridge in 1869
official_name=
also_known_as= Missouri River Bridge
carries= Railroad & Pedestrians
crosses= Missouri River
locale= Kansas City, Missouri to North Kansas City, Missouri
maint=
id=
design=
mainspan=
length=
width=
clearance=
below=
traffic=
open= 1869
closed= 1917
toll=
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map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates=
lat= 39.112672
long= -94.58864The First Hannibal Bridge was the first bridge to cross the Missouri River and was to establish Kansas City, Missouri as a major city and rail center.

Construction started in 1867, right at the end of the American Civil War. Construction on the bridge was completed in 1869. The completion of the bridge came after a short battle between the much bigger Leavenworth, Kansas and the town of Kansas City for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad bridge.

After construction was completed and the population of Kansas City began to boom tremendously.

It was designed by Octave Chanute, who also designed the Kansas City Stockyards. Its design was for it to be a swing bridge which could open in just two minutes, and it had an arched truss design. The bridge cost $1 million to build in its day.

The bridge was built by the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. Although the raiload became part of the BNSF Railway, the name "Hannibal" has stuck.

In 1886, the bridge was severely damaged by a tornado which collapsed a middle span. It was reconstructed and its truss structure was altered from an arch design to a traditional truss design. It was later replaced by the Second Hannibal Bridge 200 feet upstream, where it still stands today.

ee also

*List of crossings of the Missouri River

External links

* [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/media.cfm?mediaID=8344 KC Public Library photo of the tornado damage]
* [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/media.cfm?mediaID=3131 KC Public Library photo of the bridge in 1881]
* [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/media.cfm?mediaID=1152 KC Public Library photo of the bridge in 1870]

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Missouri River
bridge = First Hannibal Bridge
bridge signs = "(demolished)"
upstream = Second Hannibal Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = ASB Bridge
downstream signs =