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| Name | North Sioux City Railroad Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #T-252 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago (Trusses) American Bridge Company of New York (Approaches) |
| Length | 421 Feet Total, 152 Foot Main Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1900 1907 1930 |
| Original Location (Trusses) | Bridge #Z-814; Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | T-252 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 518.8 |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 5/5/2017 |
In 1872, the Dakota Southern Railroad (DS) began construction on a new railroad line, 61 miles in length, extending from Sioux City, Iowa to Yankton, South Dakota. The route would be completed in 1873. In 1879, the railroad was consolidated with the Sioux City and Pembina Railway to form the Sioux City and Dakota Railroad. In 1881, the railroad would be merged into the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, known as the Milwaukee Road. The Milwaukee Road had constructed a significant network of lines throughout the Midwest, and was looking to expand the network. In 1881, a line was constructed from Aberdeen, South Dakota extending north to Edgeley, North Dakota. The same year, construction began on an extension to Aberdeen, which would be completed in 1886. A majority of the extension was completed in 1882 and 1883. This extension provided a key connection to the existing Milwaukee Road mainline from Aberdeen to Chicago.
The Milwaukee Road operated this route as a secondary route, connecting
cities and other lines in South Dakota. The
Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the
costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company
declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul
and Pacific Railroad in 1928. As the Milwaukee Road continued to face
financial turmoil, branch lines began to see deteriorated conditions. In 1980, the Milwaukee Road sought to abandon significant trackage in South Dakota, including the Sioux City to Edgeley segment. The State of South Dakota purchased the railroad line, and Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) was selected to operate the route. The Aberdeen to Edgeley segment would be abandoned in 1984. BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF. In 2005, the State of South Dakota sold the railroad line to BNSF. BNSF continues to operate the line as the Aberdeen Subdivision.
Located between Sioux City and North Sioux City, this through truss bridge is the final railroad crossing of the Big Sioux River. The previous bridge at this location was likely a wooden truss bridge. In 1907, it was decided to rebuild the bridge with two steel truss spans. Two 152-foot 6-panel pin connected Pratt through truss spans were installed on concrete piers, and new trestle approaches constructed on either end. These two trusses were originally fabricated in 1900 as part of the single track crossing of the Cedar River at Bridge #Z-814 near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The truss spans utilize typical details seen in standard Milwaukee Road bridges, such as lattice portals and decorative heel bracings. This particular bridge utilizes a cutout star shape on the heel bracings. In 1930, the bridge was reconstructed, with a 40-foot deck plate girder span installed on the north end, and a 76-foot 9-inch span installed on the south end. At this time, new concrete abutments were constructed.
Railroads often reused steel and iron spans to save costs on bridge replacements along branch lines. When the two trusses were installed here, they were less than seven years old. The original single track through truss bridge at Bridge #Z-814 was replaced in 1906 with a new deck truss bridge upstream. A third truss span from this bridge was reused at Bridge #T-840 near Elk Point, South Dakota. Overall, this bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the truss design and relocation history.
Citations
| Builder, build dates and relocation history (trusses) | Milwaukee Road Archives Drawing Collection at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Builder and build date (approaches) | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |