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UP Rush River Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Rush River
West of Baldwin, St. Croix County, Wisconsin

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name UP Rush River Bridge
Built By Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Contractor (North Track) Unknown
Contractor (South Track) American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 50 Feet Total
Width 2 Tracks, 1 In Use
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1894, Widened 1912
Traffic Count 15 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
C&NW Bridge Number 387
UP Bridge Number 38.04
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date March 2019


Located west of Baldwin, this deck plate girder bridge crosses the Rush River near 200th Street.
According to railroad documents, the bridge was built in 1894 to replace an older wood bridge. An additional track was added onto the south side in 1912 as part of a widening project.
Utilizing a standard design, the bridge features a single deck girder span, set onto stone substructures. A distinct difference between the 1894 and 1912 stonework can be noted.
Currently, the southern track is in use with an open deck. The north track was removed in 1962, although the span remains as a ballasted deck structure serving an access road.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to 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 American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele