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Indian Creek Rail Bridge #9

Abandoned Through Girder Bridge over Indian Creek
Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Indian Creek Rail Bridge #9
Built By Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Contractor Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Currently Owned By Iowa Interstate Railroad
Length 47 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built Ca. 1899
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
RI Bridge Number 5000A
Current Status Abandoned
Documentation Date October 2015 and February 2017


This standard Through Girder bridge crosses Indian Creek in a very industrialized area of Council Bluffs, along with many other railroad bridges.
Built in approximately 1899, the bridge consists of a single through girder span, set onto concrete substructures. This was the second and middle bridge of the Rock Island across Indian Creek.
It is the 9th Railroad Bridge across Indian Creek, which is channelized. It sits on the north end of the former yard, which was removed around 1980. It is also believed that IAIS still owns this property, although it is no longer active.
It also sits next to the 9th Bridge, the other former yard bridge.
When the creek was channelized in the late 1930s, all bridges were assigned a number from south to north. As a result, city plans consider this to be bridge #10.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with a majority of the deterioration located on the tie deck.

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 Estimated
Contractor Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele