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NPR Forest River Bridge (Forest River)

Steel Stringer Bridge over Forest River
Forest River, Walsh County, North Dakota

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Name NPR Forest River Bridge (Forest River)
Built By Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Canadian Pacific Railway
Currently Operated By Northern Plains Railroad
Length 143 Feet Total, 30 Foot Main Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Steel Stringer and Trestle
Substructure Type Timber Pile
Date Built Ca. 1910
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located west of Forest River, this small beam bridge crosses the Forest River.
Built in approximately 1910, the bridge features a pair of steel stringer spans, set onto wooden substructures. The bridge is approached by trestle on either side, and has large ice breakers in front of the piers.
This style bridge was commonly used on branch lines, where a larger span was required, but a permanent substructure was not. Oftentimes, these girder spans would be moved from a mainline to replace several trestle spans. It is unknown if that is the case here.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no major deterioration noted. Unfortunately, no plaques could be found on the bridge. The author will attempt to find more information on this structure.

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