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NPR Lake Ardoch Inlet Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Lake Ardoch Inlet
Ardoch, Walsh County, North Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name NPR Lake Ardoch Inlet Bridge
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 275 Feet Total, 50 Foot Largest Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder and Steel Stringer
Substructure Type Steel Pile
Date Built Ca. 1905; Rebuilt 2003
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located just east of Ardoch, this large deck girder bridge crosses an unnamed inlet of Lake Ardoch, which is located just to the north.
Built in approximately 1905, the bridge originally consisted of three deck girders with trestle approaches. In 2003, the approaches were rebuilt with steel stringer spans. In addition, new piers were constructed for the girders.
It appears that the approaches are secondhand spans, likely from other replaced spans or branch lines that have been abandoned. A Soo Line herald can be seen on two of these spans.
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 excellent condition, with no major deterioration noted. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get closer to 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