logo

Little Ocheyedan River Trail Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Little Ocheyedan River
Allendorf, Osceola County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Little Ocheyedan River Trail Bridge
Built By Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway
Contractor (Presumed) American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Osceola County
Length 80 Feet Total, 40 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1902, Rehabilitated 2018
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Awaiting Further Trail Development
RI Bridge Number 2515
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date November 2019


Located in Allendorf, this two span deck girder bridge crosses the Little Ocheyedan River in the Johnson Wildlife Area.
Likely built in 1902, such as other similar bridges along this route, the bridge features two deck girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. These substructures are unusual, as they have been capped with stone blocks. The bridge sat abandoned for many years, until a trail deck and fencing was added in 2018-2019.
The trail deck was added in anticipation for the Tatonka Ska Trace Trail, which will run from Sibley east to Spirit Lake. Segments of the trail near Lake Park have already been constructed, although it'll likely be several more years before this bridge is officially open to walkers and bikers.
The bridge is of a common design for this route, and overbuilt for the waterway it crosses. The trail deck consists of a concrete slab set onto the railroad ties.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. During the conversion to trail use, some of the substructures were also rehabilitated. The author did notice the west abutment likely needs further rehabilitation, and possibly a complete encasement.

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