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OTVR Otter Tail River Bridge

Deck Plate Girder bridge over Otter Tail River
Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name OTVR Otter Tail River Bridge
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Otter Tail Valley Railroad
Length 240 Feet Total, 60 Foot Largest Span
Width 2 Tracks, 1 In Use
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1910
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
GN Bridge Number (Old) 74
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date March 2013


Located in downtown Fergus Falls, this girder bridge crosses the Otter Tail River.
Built in 1911 to replace an older bridge, the bridge consists of four deck girder spans on stone substructures.
Bridges like this are commonly used to cross medium sized rivers. The Otter Tail River is dammed at this location, meaning the piers are fully submerged.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Detailed inspections of the superstructure and substructures are impossible to access.

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 Great Northern Bridge Book at Minnesota Historical Society
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele