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CP Fish Creek Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Fish Creek
Rockland, La Crosse County, Wisconsin

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name CP Fish Creek Bridge
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Contractors (South Track) Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of Milwaukee (Girders from Z-996)
American Bridge Works of Chicago (Girders from C-450)
Currently Owned By Canadian Pacific Railway
Length 50 Feet Total
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry and Concrete
Date Erected 1910
Date Fabricated (South Track Girders) 1894 (C-450), 1897 (Z-996)
Original Location (South Track Girders) Bridge #Z-996; Ferguson, Iowa
Bridge #C-450 (This Bridge)
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
MILW Bridge Number C-450
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date November 2020


Located just west of Rockland, this deck girder bridge carries a Canadian Pacific mainline over Fish Creek.
The previous bridge here was a single track deck plate girder span, set onto stone abutments. In 1910, it was decided to double track this line. The 1894 span was then strengthened with secondhand girders from Bridge #Z-996 (Ferguson, Iowa); which had been fabricated in 1897. This span was used as the south track, while the north track was constructed of new material.
Reconstruction by twinning a girder was a common practice to strengthen a bridge. It is unknown where the other girders came from, or how old they are. The bridge utilizes a ballasted deck, like many others along this line.
Bridges such as this were commonly used, as ease of construction and lack of required maintenance made for an attractive design. While a plaque was found on the south track, no date was found on the plaque.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with little deterioration to the structure. However, the north track deck is in poor condition.

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

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date/Builders Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele