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BNSF Lake Mitchell Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge Over Lake Mitchell (Firesteel Creek)
Mitchell, Davison County, South Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Lake Mitchell Bridge
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 210 Feet Total, 90 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1911, 1919 and 1927
Date Fabricated (South Span) Ca. 1900
Original Location Bridge #O-266; Big Stone City, South Dakota
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
MLIW Bridge Number P-6
Significance Local Significance


This bridge is a large Deck Girder bridge over Lake Mitchell on the north side of Mitchell, South Dakota.
Originally built in 1911, this bridge was constructed to cross Firesteel Creek, which was later dammed to create Lake Mitchell. The initial span constructed was large 90-foot deck girder. In 1915, the south pier was rebuilt and by 1919, a 70-foot span would be moved here from the Whetstone River Bridge near Big Stone City, South Dakota. The final north span was added in 1927, and the history is largely unknown.
Constructed of three deck girder spans, the entire bridge is set onto concrete substructures. In addition, the bridge is built with a ballasted deck, common for Milwaukee Road bridges.
Overall, the bridge remains in good conditions.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele