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| Name | BNSF Little Calumet Creek Bridge Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #88.40 |
| Built By | Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 236 Feet Total, 80 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Concrete Slab |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1901 (Girders) c. 1930 (Slabs) |
| Traffic Count | 10 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number | 88.40 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 88.40 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/16/2016 |
In 1856, the Keokuk, Mount Pleasant and Muscatine Railroad (KMP&M) began construction on 16 miles of new railroad, extending from Keokuk, Iowa to Viele, Iowa. The railroad would be complete in 1858. The same year, the Iowa Southern Railroad (IS) completed an additional 8 miles from Viele to Fort Madison, Iowa. In 1867, the two railroads were merged into the Keokuk & St. Paul Railway (K&StP). In 1868, the K&StP began construction on an additional 18 miles from Fort Madison to Burlington, Iowa. At the same time, the Mississippi Valley and Western Railway (MV&W) began construction on a 34 mile line, extending from West Quincy, Missouri to Buena Vista, Missouri. Work was completed in 1872, and an additional 13 miles to Hannibal, Missouri were constructed at that time. Work continued south from Hannibal, and the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad (StLK&NW) completed the line to Louisiana, Missouri in 1875. An additional 54 miles from Louisiana to St. Peters, Missouri were completed in 1879. A bridge across the Des Moines River into Keokuk was completed in 1882. An additional 48 miles from St. Louis to Cuivre Junction were completed in 1894 by the StLK&NW.
Both the K&StP and StLK&NW were affiliated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). The two railroads were formally merged into the CB&Q in 1901, as the CB&Q consolidated numerous subsidiary companies. The CB&Q had acquired and constructed a large railroad network
throughout the Midwest. This route served as a principal north-south mainline for the CB&Q, connecting the mainlines at Burlington and West Quincy with St. Louis CB&Q merged
with Northern
Pacific Railway and
Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in
1970. In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line. Today, the line is operated as the Hannibal Subdivision.
Located along Missouri Highway 79 in between Clarksville and Louisiana, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy over Little Calumet Creek. The previous bridge at this location was likely a timber Howe truss span, constructed the early 1890s. In 1901, the bridge would be reconstructed with the present main spans of the bridge. The bridge consists of one 80-foot and two 50-foot through plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The girder spans utilize a standard CB&Q design, with squared edges. The 80-foot span is rather long for this era, although this length became standard by the 1910s. The bridge was originally approached by timber pile trestle, which was replaced with concrete slab spans in approximately 1930. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. 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.
Citations
| Build date | Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Valuation Summary at the Newberry Library |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |