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UP Ditch #166 Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Hamilton County Ditch #166
Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name UP Ditch #166 Bridge
Built By Chicago & North Western Railway
Contractor (Superstructure) American Bridge Company of New York
Contractor (Substructure) Cleary-White Construction Company of Chicago
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 40 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1914
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
C&NW Bridge Number 2224
UP Bridge Number 33.04
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date March 2021


Located south of Webster City, this bridge is one of two similar deck girder bridges along the eastern edge of Briggs Woods Park.
Built in 1914 to cross Ditch #166, the bridge consists of a single deck girder span, on concrete abutments. A plaque missing from the abutments suggests this substructure was built by Cleary-White Construction Company, and a missing plaque on the other bridge suggests the superstructure was built by American Bridge Company.
These types of spans are extremely common on railroads throughout America, due to the ease of construction and simple maintenance.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted.

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 Chicago & North Western Railway Historical Society Archives
Contractor Missing Plaques
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele