Rock Island Swing Bridge Walkway, Inver Grove Heights
Rock Island Swing Bridge in Inver Grove Heights with Marathon Petroleum refinery lit at dusk.
The Rock Island Swing Bridge crosses the Mississippi River between Inver Grove Heights and St. Paul Park, Minnesota. Built in 1895 for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, it originally carried freight trains and included a rotating swing span to let river traffic pass. Rail traffic ended in the 1980s, and the span was later converted into a pedestrian and bicycle crossing linking regional trail systems on both sides of the river. Across the water in St. Paul Park stands the Marathon Petroleum refinery, one of Minnesota's major oil processing facilities, which has operated on the site since 1939.
Photo taken in January 2016.
