This standard wooden trestle bridge crosses the Yellow Medicine River near Hanley Falls.
Dating to the original construction of the route, this bridge features numerous wooden trestle spans on timber bents. Likely the most utilized design on American railroads, these designs were cheap and durable, despite having to regularly be replaced.
In 1941, the bridge was altered. A new through girder span was added to cross 510th Street, and was set onto concrete piers.
Currently, the bridge consists of a single through girder and 28 spans of wooden trestle. It is impossible to date the wooden structures, as they have likely been upgraded and replaced numerous times since construction.
The use of a timber trestle to cross this river is a surprising yet logical choice. While the nearby BNSF bridge was built of steel and stone, it also carries a much heavier traffic load than this structure. Timber trestles are a cheap alternative to a steel bridge, and optimal for a crossing like this.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Some deterioration of the pilings was noted, and many piles have been reinforced with steel piles.
The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the extremely common design and newer age.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | C&NW Yellow Medicine River Bridge (Minneota) |
| Downstream | BNSF Yellow Medicine River Bridge |