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| Name | RWRR Cheyenne River Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #W-272 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Ringneck & Western Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 737 Feet Total, 162 Foot Main Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 25 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss, Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1907 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Closed to Traffic) |
| Current Status | Closed to all Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #W-272 | |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 7/16/2017 |
With the opening to Native American Lands to development in 1905, the White River Valley Railroad (WRV) was charted to construct a railroad between Chamberlain, South Dakota and Rapid City, South Dakota. Located on the Missouri River, Chamberlain had been the western terminus of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) since 1881. In 1905, a pontoon bridge was built across the Missouri River, and construction began on the line. In 1906, the railroad reached Murdo, and construction reached Rapid City in 1907. The WRV was absorbed by the Milwaukee Road in 1910.
The Milwaukee Road operated this route as a secondary route, connecting
cities in rural 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 in 1987 the Dakota Southern Railway began operations. The line from Kadoka to Rapid City would be closed and railbanked in 1996. In 2021, the State of South Dakota sold the railroad to Watco owned Ringneck & Western Railroad, the current operators of the line. The Kadoka to Rapid City segment remains out of service.
Located in rural Pennington County near the ghost town of Creston, this large through truss bridge crosses the Cheyenne River. The original design for the Cheyenne River Bridge utilized nine skewed deck plate girder spans. However, this design was soon deemed unsuitable, and three 162-foot 6-panel Pratt through trusses were substituted for seven of the deck girder spans. The seven extra girder spans had been fabricated, but not installed. They were reused at five different locations in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
As originally constructed, the bridge consists of three 162-foot 6-panel Pratt through truss spans, approached by a 73-foot deck plate girder span on either end. The bridge is approached by timber trestle spans at either end. The bridge is set onto concrete and timber pile substructures, and runs at a heavy skew. The through truss spans are of identical design to five spans constructed at bridge #Z-312 across the Rock River at Byron, Illinois. These trusses utilize a combination of pinned and riveted connections, a design occasionally seen along the Milwaukee Road. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. Pier #4 of the bridge was replaced by a steel pile pier in approximately 2016, after the original concrete pier failed. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the large scale design.
Citations
| Build Date | Date Stamp |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |