Bridge: PRR (GR&I) Grand River in Grand Rapids

Railroad:	Originally Grand Rapids & Indiana, later Pennsylvania
City or Area:	Grand Rapids
River:	Grand
Type:	Fixed.
Year Built:	1892
Length:	575 feet. Longest span: 125 feet.
Built By:
Other Information:	This bridge is now a foot bridge across the river and lit at night. Conrail stopped using the bridge in the 1980's after obtaining trackage rights on the CSX bridge.
Photos:	Photo by Tim Shanahan, 2002. The Amway Grand Hotel is in the background.
Notes:	The Grand Rapids & Indiana/Pennsylvania Railroad/Penn Central/Conrail railroad bridge over the Grand River is located between the Pearl Street Bridge and the Fulton Street Bridge. This railroad bridge is the oldest of the railroad bridges in Grand Rapids having been built in 1892. This is a 24 ft. wide two track bridge that has five spans. The westernmost span is a 125 ft. long simple steel I-Beam while the remaining four spans are of a steel Pratt Truss design, the three western most spans being 110 feet long while the easternmost being 120 feet long. Trains crossed this bridge on their way to Mackinaw City and Muskegon. The first GR&I railroad bridge at this location was completed on Sept 12th, 1868. (85 years to the day when I was born to watch trains "Dano"). The current railroad bridge was abandoned when Conrail began using the CSX bridge over the Grand River in the 1980's. The GR&I Bridge is painted bright blue and now serves as a pedestrian bridge. From Carl Bajema.