Government Bridge

3/4 overall view from the Clock Tower Building (Building 205); looking NNW toward Davenport, Iowa. (Ceronie)
Carries	2 lanes of roadway 1 rail line
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois
Design	Steel truss bridge
Opening date	1896
Coordinates	41°31′09″N, 90°34′01″W

The Government Bridge, or Arsenal Bridge, spans the Mississippi River connecting Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. It is located near upper Mississippi mile 483 at 41°31′09″N, 90°34′01″W. It is adjacent to Mississippi River Lock and Dam number 15. The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... Davenport is a city in Iowa, United States that borders the Mississippi River. ... Rock Island is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois. ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements (typically straight) which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Rock Island is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois. ... Davenport is a city in Iowa, United States that borders the Mississippi River. ...

Government Bridge replaced two bridges on or near its current location. The first bridge, constructed in the early 1850's and located around 1500 feet upstream, was the first bridge to ever span the Mississippi. However, it did not have a movable span and was determined to be a hazard to navigation and after it was damaged by ice in 1868 it was replaced by a second bridge by 1872. All that remains of the first bridge are two piers on opposite sides of the river. The second bridge had a draw-span, but was determined to be too small and was replaced by the current swing-span bridge which was placed on the same piers as the second bridge.

See also

• List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River

This is a list of current and former bridges or other crossings of the Upper Mississippi River which begins at the Mississippi Rivers confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. ...

External links

• USACE - The Rock Island Government Bridge
• Bridging the Mississippi: The Railroads and Steamboats Clash at the Rock Island Bridge
• Library of Congress - Survey number HAER IL-20-P

Bridges of the Mississippi River
Upstream Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge	Government Bridge (Arsenal Bridge)	Downstream Rock Island Centennial Bridge