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BNSF Bassett Creek Bridge

Concrete Slab Bridge over Bassett Creek
West Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Bassett Creek Bridge
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 64 Feet Total, 16 Foot Main Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Concrete Slab
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1914
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Significance Minimal Significance
Documentation Date March 2020


Located just west of Penn Avenue in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis, this small concrete slab bridge crosses Bassett Creek.
Built in 1914 to replace a wooden trestle, the bridge consists of four spans of concrete slab. This type of bridge was cheap, quick and very economical to build. The 16 foot spans are typical of the Great Northern, who built thousands of these types of bridges.
At one time, there was another bridge just north of Highway 55 that was virtually identical. However, that bridge was filled in due to its deteriorating condition.
Overall, this bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition, with serious spalling beginning to form around the joints. There are numerous areas where rebar is exposed.

The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the common design. The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Great Northern Railway 1961 Bridge Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele