Hastings Rail Bridge

{{One source|date=January 2016}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox Bridge

|bridge_name=Hastings Rail Bridge

|image=Mississippi River railroad bridge in Hastings, Minnesota.jpg

|caption=A special-excursion passenger train crossing the bridge in 2010.

|image_size=300px

|official_name=

|crosses=Mississippi River

|carries=Canadian Pacific Railway and the Amtrak Empire Builder

|locale=Hastings, Minnesota

|design=Lift bridge

|mainspan={{convert|324|ft}}

|length={{convert|1755|ft}}

|num_track=1

|below={{convert|60|ft}} (span lifted), {{convert|21.9|ft}} (span down)

|open=1981

|maint=Canadian Pacific Railway

|id=L-268

|coordinates={{coord|44|44|48|N|92|50|52|W|region:US-MN_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

|traffic= 20.0 trains per day ({{as of|2014|lc=y}}){{cite report |type=Grant application |author=Missouri Department of Transportation |title=The Merchants Bridge rehabilitation program |year=2017 |at=Figure 10: Rail Traffic Volumes Overlaid with Seismic Hazard, 2014 |url=https://www.modot.org/sites/default/files/documents/TheMerchantsBridgeRehabilitationProgram110217Final%5B1%5D.pdf#page=15}}

}}

Hastings Rail Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota. It is one of only four lift spans on the Mississippi River, the others being at Hannibal, Missouri, Burlington, Iowa and in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. It was built in 1981 by Milwaukee Road and was designed by Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff.

It crosses the Mississippi river in a north–south orientation from Hastings just upstream of Point Douglas, where the Saint Croix River empties into the Mississippi river. In addition to CP Rail traffic, the bridge also carries Amtrak's Empire Builder across the river.

Another nearby lift bridge is the Prescott BNSF lift bridge, in Prescott, Wisconsin that crosses the St. Croix River. The two tracks converge at the St. Croix interlocking tower.