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| Name | UP Watonwan River Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #519 |
| Built By | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 160 Feet Total, 80 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1923 |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 519 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 110.78 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/9/2017 |
In 1865, the Minnesota Valley Railway Company (MVR) began construction on a new railroad line between Mendota, Minnesota and St. James, Minnesota. In 1865, the first 22 miles were completed between Mendota, Minnesota and Merriam Junction, Minnesota; followed by 17 additional miles to Belle Plaine, Minnesota in 1866. In 1867, the MVR completed an additional 16 miles to Le Sueur, Minnesota; followed by 12 additional miles to Kasota, Minnesota in 1868. In 1869, the MVR completed an additional 22 miles to Lake Crystal, Minnesota. The same year, an additional 5 miles would be completed between St. Paul, Minnesota and Mendota. In 1870, the MVR would be purchased by the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad (StP&SC). 22 additional miles to St. James, Minnesota would be completed in 1870. The StP&SC completed 58 more miles from St. James to Worthington, Minnesota in 1871; and 64 additional miles to Le Mars, Iowa were completed in 1872. At Le Mars, the route connected to an existing railroad, over which the StP&SC used trackage rights to reach Sioux City, Iowa.
In 1881, the StP&SC would be sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road). The Omaha Road would come under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) the next year. The C&NW had developed a large network of railroad lines in the Midwest, with the Omaha Road serving as the northern extent of the company. This route became the main line of the Western District of the Omaha Road. Several improvements were made to the line in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Between 1898 and 1906, several sections of the line were realigned between Blakeley, Minnesota and Mankato. In 1957, the C&NW leased the Omaha Road, and the C&NW purchased the company in 1972. The C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1995. UP still operates the St. Paul to St. James segment as the Mankato Subdivision and the St. James to Sioux City segment as the Worthington Subdivision. The line remains a mainline for UP, connecting St. Paul to Sioux City and providing UP with a mainline into the Twin Cities.
Located west of Madelia, this deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) mainline across the Watonwan River. The first bridge at this location likely consisted of a timber pile trestle or wooden truss bridge. In the late 1870s or early 1880s, the first structure was replaced with a wooden Howe through truss. In 1887, the original bridge was replaced with a 125-foot quadrangular lattice through truss span, approached by timber pile trestle spans. By the 1920s, this bridge had become too light for traffic and was replaced by the present structure in 1923. Currently, the bridge consists of two 80-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The superstructure follows a standard design, with heavy girders. The substructure also uses a standard design, with a square pier and abutments with stepped wing walls. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, while the substructure was constructed by an unknown contractor. Deck 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 some minor defects noted throughout the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |