logo

UP Prairie Creek Bridge (West Bend)

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Prairie Creek
West Bend, Palo Alto County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name UP Prairie Creek Bridge (West Bend)
Built By Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 160 Feet Total, 40 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1903
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
RI Bridge Number 1700
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date January 2019


This standard deck girder bridge crosses Prairie Creek south of 460th Street, near West Bend.
Built in 1903, the bridge features four standard deck girder spans. These spans are set onto concrete substructures.
Commonly used to cross larger streams, this bridge likely replaced a simple wooden trestle. The BCR&N, and later Rock Island, were known for building long structures for creeks that didn't require it.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition. The substructures have had significant deterioration.

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 Date Stamp
Contractor Missing American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele