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| Name | BNSF East Channel Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #1 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractors | Unknown (North Track) Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin (South Track) |
| Length | 225 Feet Total, 75 Foot Main Spans |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Type | Deck plate girder and concrete modular girder |
| Substructure Type | Stone masonry |
| Dates Built | 1892 (North track) 1924 (South track) |
| Replacement Date | 2008 (South Track) |
| Traffic Count | 20 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | Open to Traffic |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 10.3 |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 1 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/11/2011; 11/28/2013; 4/4/2015 |
In 1867, the First Division of The St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company constructed 14.70 miles of new railroad between Minneapolis, Minnesota and Lake Junction (Wayzata). Work would continue westward in 1868, with an additional 29 miles constructed to Howard Lake, Minnesota. Work resumed in 1869, with 49 more miles constructed, reaching Willmar, Minnesota. Work resumed in 1870, with 31 more miles constructed to Benson, and an additional 81 miles would be constructed to Breckenridge, Minnesota; located on the western Minnesota border. The railroad would be sold to the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway (StPM&M) in 1879.
During the 1880s, the StPM&M would acquire and construct a large amount of railroad lines throughout Minnesota. Owned by railroad magnate James J. Hill, the railroad would continue to grow into the 1890s, before being sold to the Great Northern Railway (GN) in 1907. The GN, like the StPM&M, was owned by James J. Hill, and the railroad would eventually reach the Pacific Coast at Seattle in 1893. The GN utilized this as a mainline, connecting the railroad town of Willmar to the Twin Cities, and to agricultural markets in Western Minnesota. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad. BN was in turn merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996, to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Minneapolis to Willmar portion of this line as the Wayzata Subdivision.
Located on the east side of Nicollet Island, this deck plate girder bridge crosses the East Channel of the Mississippi River. Originally built in 1892 as a 3 span, two track deck plate girder bridge set onto stone substructures, the bridge was extensively rebuilt in 1924. During the 1924 rebuilt, all six girder spans would be combined into three spans on the north track, and the south track replaced with new girder spans. Twinning girder spans was a common strengthening technique used by North American railroads, involving combing two girder spans into one (or reusing four individual girder lines).
In 2008, the south track would be replaced by a precast modular girder bridge as part of the Northstar Commuter Rail project. The old south track spans were stored at the Cedar Lake Yard in St. Louis Park until late 2014 or early 2015, when they were removed. It is unknown if they were scrapped, or reused elsewhere. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration. The author has rated the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Mississippi River Railroad Bridges
| Upstream Description | Next Bridge Upstream |
| Upstream Display | Abandoned East Channel Bridge |
| Adjacent Channel Description(s) | West Channel Bridge |
| Adjacent Channel Display | BNSF Nicollet Island Bridge |
| Downstream Description(s) | Next Bridge Downstream |
| Downstream Display | Stone Arch Bridge |
Citations
| Build Date | Great Northern Willmar Division Bridge Index, located at the Minnesota Historical Society |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |