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BNSF Elm Coulee Bridge

Concrete Slab Bridge over Elm Coulee
Thompson, Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Elm Coulee Bridge
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 80 Feet Total, 16 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Concrete Slab
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1918
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 87.70
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located just south of Thompson along County Road 17, this standard concrete slab bridge crosses Elm Coulee, a small swampy creek.
Built in 1918, the bridge features five concrete slab spans, set onto concrete substructures. These spans follow a standard design for the Great Northern.
This style bridge was commonly used to cross small streams because of the cheap cost, easy installation and limited maintenance required. Typically, these were used to replace wooden trestles. A span like this could often be built while only interrupting traffic for short times.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the structure.

The author has ranked the bridge as being locally 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