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DN Park River Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Park River
Grafton, Walsh County, North Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name DN Park River Bridge
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Dakota Northern Railroad
Length 171 Feet Total, 60 Foot Largest Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1907
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
DN Bridge Number 39.94
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located along US Highway 81, this attractive girder bridge is the western crossing of the Park River in Grafton.
Built in 1907, the bridge features three through plate girder spans, set onto stone substructures. Typical of many of the Great Northern bridges, it appears that the substructures have been repointed and repaired.
This style bridge was commonly used to replace older trestles and wooden truss bridges, as girder bridges such as this were easy to construct and maintain. Great Northern upgraded many bridges in this area between 1907-08.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no major deterioration noted.

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 Great Northern Railroad Bridge Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele