4th Street Bridge (Racine, Wisconsin)

The 4th Street Bridge was a bridge in Racine, Wisconsin that connected 4th Street to Bridge Street across the Root River. The first bridge on the site was built in 1844, and was replaced in 1857 and 1878. The most recent incarnation of the bridge was a swing bridge built in 1878. The last 19th-century bridge to continue operating in Racine, the city considered removing or replacing it for decades, particularly after an inspection in 1921 found the bridge to be in poor condition. Due to safety concerns, the bridge was closed to vehicle traffic in 1936, but remained open to pedestrians until it was condemned in 1961, and subsequently demolished in 1963. In recent years, a new pedestrian bridge has been proposed to be built at the same location.