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BNSF Cole Creek Bridge

Steel Stringer Bridge over Cole Creek
Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Cole Creek Bridge
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 48 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Steel Stringer
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1968
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 97.95
Significance Minimal Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located just west of Grand Forks at the intersection of 17th Avenue, this steel stringer bridge crosses Cole Creek, a small drainage ditch.
Built in 1968, the bridge features a single steel stringer span, set onto concrete substructures. These spans follow a standard design for the Great Northern. It is likely that this bridge was built to improve drainage in the area.
This style bridge was commonly used to cross rivers, streams and roads because of the cheap cost, easy installation and limited maintenance required. A span like this could often be built while only interrupting traffic for short times.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in excellent condition, with no major deterioration noted.

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

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Stamp
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele