Located just northeast of Belmond along County Road C20, this small stone arch bridge crosses an unnamed tributary of East Branch Iowa River.
It is unknown when this bridge was built, although it was likely between 1898 and 1900. During this time, the CGW build hundreds of stone arches to replace trestle bridges. Many of these arches were very standardized, and built within only a few days. This structure is no exception.
Like most CGW arches, this one shows signs of wear and tear. It is unknown why CGW arches have a high rate of failure, but it may be related to the stone source. While not as severe as many others, a crack has formed in the headwall.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition. Some deterioration and scour was noted on the base, which is easily correctable. At some point, this arch will become part of the Prairie Land Trail.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design. In the early 2000s, Union Pacific resurveyed many lines in Iowa, leading to many bridges to change numbers just a few years before abandonment. For this reason, the original C&NW/CGW number and milepost are used in the name.
The photo above is an overview.