Located near Charles City, this unique pony truss bridge crosses the Cedar River.
Reportedly built in 1897, this large bridge consists of two different sized trusses, a 123' span and a 102'6" span.
While the smaller span has been confirmed as being original to this location, the larger span appears to have a missing Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company plaque. Railroad records indicate both spans were built by J.G. Wagner & Company, possibly indicating that the larger span was later replaced with another span, possibly from another location. It is also possible that the missing plaque is a J.G. Wagner plaque, although no examples of this companies plaques have been seen.
Currently, the bridge consists of a pair of distinctly different 6-panel pin connected Pratt Pony Trusses. These trusses follow a similar design, and were standard for the Milwaukee Road.
These two trusses sit on concrete and stone substructures. A section of concrete parapet extends behind the east abutment.
Overall, the bridges appear to be in good condition. However, there were some defects noted.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the distinct truss design.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | DM&E Cedar River Bridge (Otranto) |
| Downstream | Charley Western Trail Bridge |