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CN Wall Lake Inlet Bridge

Concrete Arch Bridge over Wall Lake Inlet
Carnarvon, Sac County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name CN Wall Lake Inlet Bridge
Built By Illinois Central Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 45 Feet Total, 15 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Concrete Arch
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1911
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
CN Bridge Number 422.4
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date December 2018


Located near the small town of Carnarvon, this massive concrete arch bridge crosses the Wall Lake Inlet.
Built in 1911, the bridge features a trio of large concrete arch spans, set onto concrete substructures. This type of arch culvert was standard for this route, although this appears to be the only structure with more than one span.
Triple concrete arches are very uncommon on American railroads. They typically indicate that the waterway is large, or there is a strong potential for flooding.
Overall, it appears that the bridge is in good condition. Virtually no serious deterioration was found on the structure, but it appears that the bridge may have received an encasement.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the exceptionally large bridge.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

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