Located at the busy intersection of Iowa Highway 10 and US Highway 75, this unique bridge crosses the West Fork Floyd River.
Much is unknown about the history of this bridge. According to a Great Northern bridge list, the current bridge was built in 1944, replacing a bridge originally built in 1888. However, the girder spans are certainly older than 1944.
The current bridge is unique, as two 40-foot through girder spans cross an overflow on the south end of the bridge, while the main channel is bridged by a 60-foot through girder. The remainder of the bridge is trestle.
Two of the girder spans are unique, featuring odd bracings on the end panels. This design has not been seen before, and it is unknown if this is original to the spans or not.
In addition, each of the three girders are slightly different in size and design. The northern 60-foot span features the odd bracing, as does the southernmost 40-foot span. The other 40-foot span does not. This strongly implies that the girders were likely relocated here from multiple locations. The girders all appear to date to around 1900, but the histories of each are completely unknown.
Relocating bridge spans was a common way to save on expenses and get the most out of a span. Nearly every American railroad used this technique in reconstructing branch line bridges.
Prior to 2020, the bridge featured several trestle spans on the south end, the two shorter girders, several more trestle spans, the longer main channel girder span, and a few more trestle spans. The entire bridge rested on timber piles.
In 2020, the southern trestle spans were replaced with modular concrete beam spans. Work had begun on the rest of the bridge, including likely replacing the girder spans, when it seems to have paused. As of November 2021, there was no further activity.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, but the timber spans are likely due for replacement. Unfortunately, this also means these unusual girder spans will be replaced as well.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the unusual design and history.
The photo above is an overview from US Highway 75. Due to the nature of this bridge, this was the best overview photo possible.