December 21, 1873

The original Baring Cross Bridge, the first bridge built across the Arkansas River, opened to a large crowd of people. It is the westernmost bridge of the six bridges spanning the Arkansas River in downtown Little Rock (Pulaski County). The iron and wooden bridge consisted of four Howe Truss spans and one navigation swing span for a total length of 978 feet. The bridge cost $349,277.40 (approximately $5,822,454 in 2003 dollars). Its modern replacement is a steel double-track bridge with a lift navigation span. The bridge remains one of the busiest railroad bridges in the country.

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