India Point Railroad Bridge

India Point Railroad Bridge
View of swing span from India Point Park looking towards East Providence
Coordinates	41°49′02″N 71°23′15″W / 41.817098°N 71.387415°W / 41.817098; -71.387415Coordinates: 41°49′02″N 71°23′15″W / 41.817098°N 71.387415°W / 41.817098; -71.387415
Carries	Boston and Providence Railroad
Crosses	Seekonk River
Locale	between Providence and East Providence
Characteristics
Design	swing bridge
Total length	403 feet (123 m)
Width	29 feet (8.8 m)
Height	48 feet (15 m)
Longest span	225 feet (69 m)
History
Construction start	1901
Construction end	1903
Opened	1903
Closed	1974

India Point Railroad Bridge was a swing bridge which spanned the Seekonk River, connecting the City of Providence, Rhode Island at India Point to the City of East Providence at Watchemoket. It was last used in 1974, and the swing span was removed in 2001 leaving only two fixed truss spans.

The original structure was a covered bridge built in 1835 by Thomas Hassard for the Boston and Providence Railroad. He had been mentored by Colonel Stephen H. Long, inventor of the Long truss. It held the distinction of being the first interstate railroad bridge built in the United States. The bridge had a manually operated draw consisting of two parts located on the East Providence side of the bridge. In order to let a vessel pass, the eastern part had to be moved northward and the western part was moved into the vacated space. This draw was replaced in 1858 by one resting on a turntable providing a gap of 38 feet (12 m). In 1866, due to the bridge's piers being deemed unreliable, work began on a new bridge adjacent to the existing one that was to have a draw of at least 60 feet (18 m). This bridge used a Howe truss and was built by Daniel Harris and Richard Hawkins, who held the patent rights for this design in Southern New England. On 20 February 1868, a successful test run was made, and the main track was connected to the new bridge the following day.