A charter from Congress in 1872 permitted the railway to construct the bridge. The Secretary of War assumed control of Mississippi crossings. The railroad selected their optimal location in North La Crosse, bridging the Black River to French Island. A group of military engineers had selected a site at the foot of Mt. Vernon Avenue, which was approved by the Secretary of War. Another source states Vine Street for the location. This would have lengthened the railway, required flagged street crossings in downtown La Crosse, and also set the river crossing to the south of La Crescent over property owned by Wall Street speculators. The original 1873 Secretary of War report allowed the railroad company to build at any point selected by the company. After much legal wrangling, final approval for the original desired site was granted by the Wisconsin State Assembly. The initial construction began in June 1876 and was completed five months later in November. In 1876, the bridge cost US$500,000 to build. It paid for itself in a few years, with the railroad saving $90,000 a year in river tolls. Over the years, the La Crosse rail bridge has gone through many changes, including replacement of the original bridge in 1902. The bridge is located over the west channel of the Mississippi River near Shore Acres and links to Minnesota Island. The La Crosse Rail Bridge itself is located entirely on the Minnesota side of the river and is 1,050 feet, 11 inches long. A second bridge connects Minnesota Island to the Wisconsin shore across the Black River. Present usage The swing span has a Humpback truss, while the two adjoining spans are flat-top fixed through trusses. A section of the bridge swings on a pivot point, opening up two 150-foot- wide lanes for river traffic to pass through, similar to a gate. The bridge is operated from a tower and originally ran on steam power. Opening and closing the swing bridge takes about five minutes, which allowed the railroad to build a permanent track across the river to La Crosse without interfering with the towboats and barges that travel up and down the Mississippi. River traffic has the right of way, and the swing bridge must even open for privately owned pleasure crafts or face fines from the Coast Guard. though it is speculated that the railroad would often take the fines over the cost of