Early history The East Omaha Bridge was originally built in 1893 and was owned by the Omaha Bridge and Terminal Railway Company. Originally, only the southern (Iowa-side) span was moveable. The
Illinois Central Railroad (IC) first gained rights to the bridge in 1899, and started running through Omaha in January 1900. It gained a controlling interest in 1902, and took complete control of the Omaha Bridge and Terminal Railway Company in 1903. and when consolidation did occur, it did not include the bridge. The northern span (Nebraska side) also gained the ability to
swing following reconstructions in January 1904 Precautionary steps were taken early in the bridge's history; however, the flow continued to affect it. During the reconstruction, there was discussion as to whether the bridge should be open to pedestrian and street traffic as well as rail traffic. Ultimately, it was limited to rail use only, including commuter service between the two cities.
Mid-20th century Completed in 1957, the
Gavins Point Dam controls the Missouri River flow at Omaha. It has limited the flow of water at Omaha because of both droughts and decreased flow because of electricity needs met by the dam. Between that, levee building, and channelization of the river, starting in the 1950s the Iowa side of the bridge has spanned dry land, and the double swing became unnecessary. With the controlled flow of the Gavins Point Dam, starting in the 1960s the bridge was closed for rail traffic during the winter months when the Missouri River was shut down for barge traffic. In the 1970s the bridge the swing mechanism on the Iowa side was damaged in a fire of the equipment housing. In the spring when the river reopened the bridge would also be reopened for traffic. In the winter the Iowa side of the bridge would be swung open and closed by hooking a cable up to a bulldozer pulling it.
Closure The bridge was taken out of service in 1980. Today the Iowa half is permanently wenched open to allow river traffic to cruise through without interruption. All railroad traffic through the Council Bluffs/Omaha area now crosses via the
Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge. A feasibility study conducted in the 1990s determined the need to keep the track and bridge in place in case of a problem with the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge. IC was later by the
Canadian National Railway in 1998, which currently owns the bridge. ==See also==