Tri-County Corridor Trail - Vaughn Avenue Bridge

Located in Ashland, this bridge carries the former Northern Pacific Railway over Vaughn Avenue. Built in 1897, this bridge was one of four similar structures that crossed Vaughn Avenue at this location. These underpasses were built in response to the construction of a large railroad yard immediately east of the bridge. The bridge consists of a 45-foot through plate girder span, approached by a 12-foot steel stringer and a single timber pile trestle span on either end. The bridge is set onto steel bents and timber pile substructures. Originally, the approaches used a decorative lattice design along the steel stringers. In 1912, the bridge was lengthened by constructing the timber spans on either end, and in 1935, the original steel stringer spans were replaced with heavier spans of the same design. During the 1935 rebuild, the decorative lattice was removed. The main span of the bridge uses a standard design, with rounded ends and a traditionally composed floor. It is unknown which firm constructed the bridge, or why it was decided to lengthen it. Through plate girders were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Currently, the bridge is used as part of the Tri-County Corridor Trail, which extends from near Superior to Ashland. 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.