BNSF Maple Creek Bridge (Nickerson)

Name	BNSF Maple Creek Bridge (Nickerson) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #38.73
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Length	162 Feet Total, 75 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder Concrete Modular Girder
Substructure Design	Steel Pile
Date Built	c. 1925, Approaches Reconstructed c. 2003
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	38.73
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	38.73
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	5/5/2017

In 1889, the Nebraska and Western Railway began construction on a 128-mile new railroad extending from South Sioux City, Nebraska to O'Neill, Nebraska. The line would be completed in 1890, and would become part of the Sioux City and Western Railway (SC&W) in 1891. The SC&W would construct an additional 103 mile line, extending from South Sioux City to Ashland, Nebraska in 1906. The railroad would be purchased by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) in 1908. The CB&Q came in control of or constructed a large number of lines throughout Iowa and Nebraska, and the route between Ashland and Sioux City would become a mainline. CB&Q merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF Railway. In 1996, the South Sioux City to O'Neill segment was sold to the Nebraska Northeastern Railway. The line was repurchased by BNSF Railway in 2012. Today, BNSF continues to operate the O'Niell to South Sioux City segment as the O'Neill Subdivision, and the Ashland to South Sioux City segment as the Sioux City Subdivision.

Located north of Nickerson, this bridge carries the BNSF Railway line across Maple Creek next to the abandoned C&NW bridge. Built in approximately 1925 to replace a timber pile trestle, the bridge originally was constructed with a 75-foot through plate girder span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by trestle. In 2003, the bridge was substantially reconstructed, with new modular concrete approaches and steel pile piers. The girder utilizes a standard CB&Q design, including a ballasted deck and edges with deep tapers. A missing plaque on the girder indicates that this span was fabricated by American Bridge Company. This design was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

BNSF Maple Creek Bridge (Nickerson)

Nickerson, Dodge County, Nebraska