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
Located along Monroe Drive in Newton, this little stone arch has an unusual design feature.
Little is known about the history of this bridge, and it is likely that no concrete build date will ever be found. However, judging by the rest of this line, it is very likely that this bridge dates from the early to mid 1870s.
The arch is a unique shape, consisting of a very wide roof. Typically, arches fall into either a narrow roof design or a horseshoe shape. This bridge is closer to a horseshoe shape.
Unlike some of the arches along this route, this structure has retained a very high level of historic integrity. No significant grouting of the joints is present, and the only alteration is the concrete encasement on base, to prevent scour.
Overall, the bridge appears to be well maintained and in good condition. Unfortunately, no date carving can be found on the bridge.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.