1910+1956 UP/CGW/SPB&T Hoffman (Pig's Eye) Bridge over Mississippi River at St. Paul, MN

(Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges, John Marvig, John Weeks III, 3D Satellite)

SPB&T = St. Paul Bridge & Terminal Railway

"The St. Paul Bridge & Terminal Railway built the bridge between 1909 and 1910. It was leased to the Chicago Great Western in 1935. The CGW merged with the Chicago & North Western in 1968, and the bridge became Union Pacific property when it purchased the C&NW in 1995." [BridgeHunter] Bridge Hunter comments indicate the current 400' swing span was installed in 1956.

 

John Weeks IIII
This photo is "from early summer of 2011 when the Mississippi River was at a high water level. The photo above shows the main swing span and the truss span on the east side of the river crossing.

A photo with a more normal river level.

John Weeks IIII
401' (122m) Swing Span

The swing span has been replaced. The last rehabilitation was in 1982. But a swing span would have been replaced by a lift span in the 1980s. So it is not clear when it was replaced.

Jordan Palmer posted
Thanks much for the add! Here is a shot I captured last summer of the former CGW Swingbridge over the Mississippi in St. Paul, Minnesota, still used numerous times every day by the Union Pacific.David Kelzenberg This bridge is indeed at St. Paul. It is downstream from the former CGW lift bridge downtown, which is under the Robert St. (US 52) bridge. THIS bridge connects the former CGW line from the south to the UP yard by Pigs Eye lake (and the big CP former Milw. yard).

Kirk Brust commented on the above posting
Hope this helps...
[It sure did, I "liked" it.]

3D Satellite

Marty Bernard posted
3. G. A. Mower going through Great Western drawbridge, St. Paul circa 1900.
Photographs and captions from the Minnesota Historical Society

Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post
The road bridge in the background appears to be gone. But the RR bridge still stands. And this satellite image shows that it is still used.
https://www.google.com/.../@44.9168121,-93.../data=!3m1!1e3

Marty Bernard posted
6. St. Paul Bridge and Terminal Railroad Company bridge, South St. Paul, circa 1923.
Photographs and captions from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Marty Bernard shared

John Marvig comment in Bridge Hunter

Dennis Kilbridge posted
So St Paul Minnesota July 2008 Hoffman Swing Bridge open for river traffic Mississippi River. Got hit by a runaway barge about one year ago but they were able to repair. I'll see if I can find the pic.

A barge allided with a pier and sheared the top of the pier off. The truss remained attached to the pier remnant and thus it became skewed.

Dennis commented on his posting

Trains has another view of the damaged pier.

The barge also had a "boo boo."

Dennis commented on his posting

I don't know what the yellow flag signals to the oncoming train.

Dennis commented on his posting

Dennis commented on his posting
Bridge tender controls for this swing bridge.

Kelly Busche / Pioneer Press, TwinCities (source)
[A locomotive derailed and punctured its fuel tank causing a spill of 3,200 gallons of diesel fuel into the Mississippi River.]

Andrew Koetz posted two photos with the comment: "Hoffman Swing Bridge in St. Paul, MN. during the 1997 flood of the Mississippi River. The first shot I took through a 20 X 60 spotting scope with a fixed optic, the second one I shot with my standard 50 MM lens on my Pentax K1000. In the second shot, the bridge is roughly about in the middle straight back over the second aircraft hangar."

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Angel Binner posted, cropped
Name that bridge!!!
[Pig's Eye was the answer. There are several comments about the railroads not opening this (and other) bridges in a timely fashon.]

St. Paul inpsections map - 2023 labels it as a Rock Island bridge. So was RI another owner of the SPB&T?

Flood of 2024

19:31 video @ 16:01