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C&NW Bridge #656

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Former Industrial Driveway
Medary, La Crosse County, Wisconsin

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Name C&NW Bridge #656
Built By Chicago & North Western Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Wisconsin DNR
Length 90 Feet Total, 45 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1904
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
C&NW Bridge Number 656
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date November 2020


Located just west of Medary Junction, this deck girder bridge crosses an unnamed ditch near county road SS.
Built in 1904, the bridge originally crossed a small creek. When the area eventually became a large quarry operation, the creek was filled in and a driveway installed under the bridge. When the pit mine on the north side of this bridge closed, the creek remained filled, but an empty ditch now occupies where the driveway was.
1930s aerial imagery seems to show there may have been a significant back channel of the La Crosse River through here, although it was mostly dried up by the 1930s.
Currently, the bridge consists of two standard deck girder spans, set onto stone substructures. The bridge now carries the Great River State Trail, and the area underneath the bridge appears to be a hangout spot for locals.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in excellent condition, with no significant deterioration noted on the bridge.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview. Unfortunately, much of the area around this bridge is heavily overgrown.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Chicago & North Western Railway Historical Society Archives
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele