Located in Park River, this large deck girder bridge crosses the Park River along Prospect Avenue.
Little is known about the history of this bridge. The girder spans did not appear here in a 1918 valuation, and the author is not currently in possession of bridge records for this line. However, date stamps on the bridge piers indicate it was built in 1953.
The bridge consists of four deck girder spans, including a pair of 55-foot spans and a pair of 60-foot spans. The bridge is approached by trestle spans on either side, and sits on concrete piers.
It is very apparent that the deck girder spans are not original to this location. While the two 55-foot spans (the southern spans) use a fishbelly design, the northern two spans are of typical construction. The author estimates that these spans may date to approximately 1900.
Great Northern relocated spans quite often. It is unclear where these may have come from. It is also likely that the two different sizes of spans came from different locations. The author is currently conducting further research.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in excellent condition, with no significant deterioration.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design. However, the fishbelly design and relocation history makes this bridge more significant.
The photo above is an overview. The author hopes to return to this bridge for better photos in the near future.