Toledo’s 1897 swing bridge gets $65M upgrade to carry 286,000-pound railcars

Representative Image (AI-generated) An ageing railroad swing bridge over Ohio’s Maumee River is set for a $65 million overhaul that could expand freight capacity through Toledo, nearly 130 years after the structure was built. The Toledo Swing Bridge, historically known as the Toledo Belt Bridge, was acquired by Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway from Norfolk Southern for just $1 in 2004. According to the US Department of Transportation, the bridge has been awarded approximately $43.55 million in federal funding for modernisation, with the project intended to enable it to accommodate railcars weighing up to 286,000 pounds. The remaining project costs will be covered by the railway and state support, with construction expected to begin in 2029.A century-old bridge with a strategic roleBuilt in 1897, the Toledo Swing Bridge crosses the Maumee River near the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s Ironville Dock. Its location makes it an important link between railway operations and the region’s industrial and port facilities. The bridge is owned by Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway, a regional freight operator that uses the structure to transport commodities including lumber, steel, scrap m...