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From Sept. 14-18, the Quad Cities will host RiverWay 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi River. Built in 1856, the bridge connects two of the Quad Cities: Rock Island, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa.

The “Bridging the River - Connecting the Continent” event will include rides on the Milwaukee Road #261 steam train and river cruises on the Celebration Belle. Festivities also will be held in Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline, Ill.

Replaced in 1872, the bridge was rebuilt in 1896 to accommodate heavier freight loads. The 1,250-ton bridge features two tracks and a 360-foot swing span that can turn 360 degrees in either direction — one of only two such swing bridges in the world.