UP Bridge #53.90

Blakeley, Scott County, Minnesota

Default pic
Looking north
Looking north
North abutment
South abutment
Overview
Damage to abutment
Looking north
Under bridge
Missing plaque
Looking north
Overview

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Default Pic
Looking north
Looking north
North abutment
South abutment
Overview
Damage to abutment
Looking north
Under bridge
Missing plaque
Looking north
Overview
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Date Taken:
Author:
Caption:
Name UP Bridge #53.90
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #264
Built By Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Length 40 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 5 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design Stone Masonry
Date Built 1898
Date Replaced 2018
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced)
Current Status Replaced by a new bridge
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number 264
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number 53.90
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 6/26/2017
In 1865, the Minnesota Valley Railway Company began construction on a new railroad line between Mendota, Minnesota and St. James, Minnesota. The first 22 miles would be completed between Mendota and Merriam Junction in 1865, followed by 17 more miles to Belle Plaine in 1866, 16 additional miles to Le Sueur in 1867, 12 additional miles to Kasota in 1868, and 22 additional miles to Lake Crystal, Minnesota in 1869. Also in 1869, the Minnesota Valley would complete 5 additional miles from Mendota to St. Paul. In 1870, the Minnesota Valley would be purchased by the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad (StP&SC). 22 additional miles to St. James 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.
In 1881, the StP&SC would be sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (CStPM&O), also known as the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would come under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) the next year. This route became the main line of the Western District of the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would formally be merged into the C&NW in 1959. The C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific in 1995, which still operates the St. Paul to St. James segment as the Mankato Subdivision. The line continues to carry steady traffic.

Located south of Blakeley, this small deck plate girder bridge once crossed an unnamed creek. Built in 1898, the bridge consisted of a single 40-foot standard deck plate girder span, set onto stone abutments. At some point, two additional girder lines were added to the bridge to strengthen it. Often, railroads would standardize bridge spans to enable faster and more efficient construction. Numerous examples of this design were constructed for the Omaha Road, as it was durable and easy to construct. Railroads often reused older bridge parts to strengthen bridges, as appears to be the case here. The bridge was replaced in 2018. Overall, the bridge appeared 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.

Citations

Build Date Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Valuation Notes located at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives
Builder Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele