Hannibal Bridge

The First Hannibal Bridge was the first permanent rail crossing of the Missouri River[1] and helped establish Kansas City, Missouri as a major city and rail center. The increased train traffic resulting from its construction also contributed to the building of Union Depot, the predecessor to the Kansas City Union Station.[2]

Hannibal Bridge
Hannibal Bridge in 1869
Coordinates	39.112672°N 94.58864°W / 39.112672; -94.58864
Carries	Railroad & pedestrians
Crosses	Missouri River
Locale	Kansas City, Missouri to North Kansas City, Missouri
Other name(s)	Missouri River Bridge
History
Opened	1869
Closed	1917
Location

The Hannibal Bridge around 1908 from postcard, shown after its reconstruction due to severe structural damage.

Construction started in 1867, shortly after the end of the American Civil War.[3] Construction on the bridge was completed in 1869. The completion of the bridge came after a short battle between Leavenworth, Kansas, and the town of Kansas City for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad bridge.

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

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

The bridge was built for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad by the Keystone Bridge Company. Although the railroad 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 (61 m) upstream on the northern bank, but at the same location on the southern bank where it enters into the gooseneck cut into the bluff.[4][5]