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CN Old Boyer River Bridge

Deck Girder Bridge over Old Boyer River
Loveland, Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name CN Old Boyer River Bridge
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor American Bridge Works of Chicago
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 240 Feet Total, 89 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry and Steel Tower
Date Built 1899
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
CN Bridge Number 494.7
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date October 2015


This large girder bridge looks quite out of place in the present day, crossing nothing but an empty field.
However, when it was built, it originally crossed the Boyer River; a river that flooded often and required a large trestle.

Because of the continued flooding of the area, a series of diversion and channelization projects took place throughout first half of the 21st Century. This included the rerouting of the Boyer River, and filling of the channel under this bridge.
The bridge that remains is a large 3 span deck girder. The piers are steel bents, set on stone piers. In addition, the abutments are made of stone as well.

Today, the bridge is in good condition. The author has ranked this bridge as locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Boyer River Railroad Bridges
Upstream (Current Channel) UP Boyer River Bridge #4
Downstream (Old Channel) UP Old Boyer River Bridge
Downstream (Current Channel) Confluence with Missouri River

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date 1973 Illinois Central track profile
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele