By 1869, construction would restart on the next 142 miles of track in Iowa, connecting Des Moines to the Missouri River. This trackage would be required to transverse some tougher landscapes, including large rolling hills and summits.
The railroad would be completed later that year, creating a continuous network for the Rock Island between Chicago and Council Bluffs.
In addition, trackage rights across the Missouri River Bridge at Omaha allowed for trains to access Nebraska and head to other points west.
In 1880, the railroad became the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway.
The railroad continued to see a growth in traffic, so it expanded the line. Significant portions were rebuilt west of Des Moines, including reduced curves and not as steep hills.
However, the biggest improvements took place in 1953. The Atlantic Cutoff was completed by September of that year.
The Atlantic Cutoff was an important improvement, reducing grades and creating a fast network. The Council Bluffs-Atlantic route shaved 10 miles off the old trip.
Because of this, the old line between Atlantic and Council Bluffs, including sections through Shelby and Avoca were abandoned.
In the end, the cutoff did almost nothing for the Rock Island. Interstate 80 opened only a decade later, closely paralleling the route.
By 1980, the Rock Island completely went bankrupt. The system was abandoned and chopped up.
However, in 1982, Iowa Interstate Railroad stepped in and purchased the Rock Island mainline between Chicago and Omaha.
Today, Iowa Interstate continues to operate the Newton to Council Bluff segment as the 4th Subdivision.
06/26/21
This standard stone arch bridge crosses Little Fourmile Creek in Altoona.
Built in approximately 1880, this bridge features a single stone arch span with stepped and angled wing walls.
One of the worst train wrecks in Iowa history happened nearby in August 1877 during a flood, and many other bridges were destroyed. During the accident, a stone arch completely washed out. This indicates that this bridge was likely built either before 1877, or immediately after. It is unknown if this was the location of the derailment, as descriptions give "just southwest of Altoona", which matches the description of this bridge.
The bridge follows a standardized design used for the Rock Island system. Unfortunately, Rock Island bridge information has been incredibly difficult to find, so a confirmed build date may never be known.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. The masonry has however begun to fail in several spots.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.