RCP&E Cheyenne River Bridge (Oral)

Located north of the town of Oral, this large through truss bridge crosses the Cheyenne River. The previous bridge at this location was a timber Howe truss bridge. By 1910, that bridge had become too light for traffic, and it was decided to replace it with a pair of secondhand Pratt through truss spans, set onto concrete substructures and approached by timber pile trestle. The northern span consists of a 176-foot 6-inch 7-panel pin connected Pratt through truss, and the south span consists of a 196-foot 8-panel span of the same design. These spans were both originally fabricated in 1897-1898 by Detroit Bridge & Iron Works to replace older spans at the Mississippi River crossing at Clinton, Iowa. The northern span was originally part of the main channel bridge, while the south span was originally part of the east channel bridge. When the Clinton bridge was replaced in 1909, the four 1897-98 spans were salvaged and reused at various locations. Two spans were installed here, while one span was installed at Whitewood, South Dakota; and the fourth was installed at Niagara, Wisconsin. All four spans continue to exist in 2024.

Railroads often reused steel and iron spans to help save costs on bridges. When a span became unsuitable at one location, it could feasibly be repaired and reused at another location. In approximately 1920, eight deck plate girder spans were installed on the south approach, and new steel caisson piers constructed. Timber pile trestle spans continue to approach the bridge at either end. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique history.