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Merrill "No Name" Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Prairie River
Merrill, Lincoln County, Wisconsin

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Merrill "No Name" Bridge
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By City of Merrill
Length 180 Feet Total, 65 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Girder and Trestle
Substructure Type Timber Pile
Date Built 1901
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
MILW Bridge Number G-382
Significance Local Significance


This through girder structure was built in 1901 to serve as a crossing of the Prairie River, to get to the New Woods Logging Camp.
The bridge in recent years has sat abandoned, until the summer of 2014, when it was turned into a trail.
The bridge features a single 65 foot through girder, approached by trestle and sitting on wooden substructures.
Overall, the bridge remains in decent condition. It is hoped that some of the other old railroad bridges in Merrill can be reused as trails.

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 Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele