BNSF Penitentiary Creek Bridge

Name	BNSF Penitentiary Creek Bridge Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #202.99
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	85 Feet Total, 17 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Concrete Slab
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	c. 1915
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	202.99
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	202.99
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	6/19/2016

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 in Fort Madison, this concrete slab bridge carries a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad mainline over Penitentiary Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, which was periodically renewed in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. In approximately 1915, the present bridge was constructed. Currently, the bridge consists of five 17-foot concrete slab spans, set onto concrete substructures. The superstructure follows a standard design, with heavy reinforced slabs and no decorative features. The substructure also follows a standard design, with rectangular concrete piers and abutments with no wing walls. It is unclear if the bridge was constructed by railroad company forces or by an unknown contractor. Reinforced concrete slab spans became popular in the early 20th Century, as they were durable, easy to construct and could be installed with little interruption to traffic. In addition, the CB&Q had several facilities where the slabs were constructed and shipped for installation. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, and remains in regular use. 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.

BNSF Penitentiary Creek Bridge

Fort Madison, Lee County, Iowa