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BNSF Turtle River Bridge (Manvel)

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Turtle River
Manvel, Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Turtle River Bridge (Manvel)
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 246 Feet Total, 64 Foot Largest Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1908
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 13.41
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located north of Manvel, this large deck girder bridge crosses the Turtle River alongside US Highway 81.
Built in 1908, the bridge features five deck girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. It is unknown why such a large structure was used here. Of the five spans, one is 64 feet long, three are 48 feet long and one is 36 feet long. The entire bridge follows a standard design.
This style bridge was commonly used to replace older trestles, as girder bridges such as this were easy to construct and maintain. Great Northern upgraded many bridges in this area between 1907-08.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no major deterioration noted. However, there is a significant amount of spalling on the bridge.

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