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BNSF Park River Bridge (Grafton)

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Park River
Grafton, Walsh County, North Dakota

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Name BNSF Park River Bridge (Grafton)
Built By Burlington Northern Railroad
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 150 Feet Total, 60 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder and Trestle
Substructure Type Timber Pile
Date Fabricated 1929
Date Erected 1974
Original Location Spokane, Washington area
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 145.42
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located on the north side of Grafton, this through girder bridge crosses the Park River.
Built in 1974 using an older span, the bridge features a single through girder span, set onto timber piles and approached by trestle. The previous bridge, a pile trestle, was possibly damaged or destroyed by a flood, requiring a steel span.
When the trestle was replaced, it appears that a few spans were simply cut out, and the steel span added. The steel span was heavily rebuilt upon relocation.
A plaque on the bridge indicates a date of 1929, and writing indicates it came from the Spokane area. However, the author is not entirely sure where in the Spokane area it came from. Burlington Northern did a considerable amount of line relocations in that area between 1972 and 1974.
It is also unknown if the span was originally Great Northern or Northern Pacific. The author is attempting to find more information on this bridge.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted.

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 Plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele