Marlowe Creek Bridge

Located south of Grant City, this small through truss bridge carries Kildeer Lane over Marlowe Creek. The first bridge here was likely a timber trestle. In 1901, the bridge would be reconstructed with a secondhand 88-foot, 4-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss span, set onto timber piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. Railroad records indicate that the span was originally fabricated in 1885, although no original location was given. It is possible that the bridge is from a bridge over Avery Creek in Chillicothe, Iowa, which was replaced in 1897, and originally fabricated in 1885. The truss span is unusually light, with large arched lattice portals, light endposts and lightly laced vertical members. It is unknown how many spans of this design were constructed, or where they were located. During the 1880s, the CB&Q was often building their own truss and girder bridges at the Aurora, Burlington or Central shops, ordering raw steel components and fabricating the individual members. It is unknown if that is the case with this bridge, but could possibly explain the unusual design. The truss itself is exceptionally short, and other railroads may have used a pony truss in place of a through truss. Trusses of this length had largely been replaced in construction by plate girders by the early 1890s.

Many railroads reused steel and iron spans to save costs on bridges. Often, when a span became inadequate at one location, it could feasibly be rebuilt and installed at another location. It appears that the truss span was rebuilt with a new floor and additional repairs in 1901. After the railroad was abandoned, the railroad grade was acquired by Worth County and converted to a dirt surfaced road. Two parallel planks were added over the existing ties to make a driving surface, and no hand rails were installed. As of June 2024, the bridge is believed to still exist, although it is on a list of eligible bridges for replacement funding through MODOT. The bridge currently carries an average daily traffic of 15. Several of the substructure components of the bridge are in poor condition, and a bent on the south approach is missing. Due to the deteriorated condition of the substructure and timber components of the bridge, it is likely that the bridge will be replaced in the coming years. However, recent inspections rate the superstructure of the bridge as in fair condition, and it appears that the truss span is in decent condition. The author hopes that the bridge is marketed for reuse through MODOT, as this bridge is highly unusual and historic. Because of the small lightweight size, this bridge could be perfect for reuse as a pedestrian bridge or driveway bridge serving light vehicles. Railroad reports give the total weight of the truss span to be approximately 87,000 pounds. The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique history, age and adaptive reuse.