UP McCandless Cleghorn Ditch Bridge

Located alongside County Road K45 in Whiting, this through plate girder bridge carries a former Chicago & North Western Railway mainline over the McCandless Cleghorn Ditch. It is unclear if a bridge previously existed here. Between 1905 and 1906, Monona County contracted to construct a new drainage ditch to improve drainage in areas of northwest Monona County. In 1906, a through plate girder span was installed at this location, and set onto timber pile piers. The only significant alteration to the bridge came in 1913, when concrete abutments were constructed for the bridge. Currently, the bridge consists of a 45-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The superstructure follows a standard design, with modest girders, a standard floor and square girder ends. The abutments follow a typical design, consisting of rectangular shapes with sloped back walls. Pennsylvania Steel Company fabricated the superstructure, while an unknown contractor constructed the abutments. Through plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were 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.