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DN Pembina River Bridge (Walhalla)

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Pembina River
Walhalla, Pembina County, North Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name DN Pembina River Bridge (Walhalla)
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Dakota Northern Railroad
Length 253 Feet Total, 85 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder and Trestle
Substructure Type Timber and Steel Pile
Date Built 1914
Traffic Count 1 Train/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 47.22
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located alongside County Road 9 south of Walhalla, this large deck girder bridge crosses the Pembina River.
According to railroad documents, the bridge was built in 1914 to replace an older wooden truss bridge. The bridge currently features a massive deck plate girder span, approached by trestle spans on both sides. Part of the trestle on the south/east end of the girder span has been replaced by a steel stringer. The bridge now rests on timber and steel pile substructures.
While railroad documents confirm this bridge dates to 1914, the main span on the bridge may be older. As a branch line, typically railroads would try to save money by reusing spans that were replaced on mainlines. At this time, there is no solid evidence of this, although it seems odd such a large girder would be installed new at this location.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no major deterioration noted. It has clearly been upgraded repeatedly since the original construction.

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 Railway Valuation Information
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele