Located along US-6 west of Friend, this deck girder bridge crosses the South Fork of Johnson Creek.
Originally built in 1928 as a deck girder, the bridge was expanded with new I-Beam approaches in 1944. The entire bridge rests on concrete substructures, which were constructed in 1947.
While American Bridge Company did the initial work on this bridge, the new approaches were built by Vierling Steel Works, who did numerous other bridges between Omaha and Hastings.
Because the substructures are newer, it is unknown if the deck girder is originally from this location. However, there is little reason to think it is not.
The deck girder span is slightly unusual, as it is composed of a fishbelly span. These types of spans were commonly used to resist bending under loads. The design became unpopular by the turn of the century, although some were built again during the 1920s, when steam engines became too heavy for standard bridges.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with little serious deterioration. The ballasted deck on the bridge appears to provide some level of protection.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.