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| Name | BNSF Bridge #34.5 Great Northern Railway Bridge #34.5 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 225 Feet Total, 60 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 47 Feet |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Modular Girder |
| Substructure Design | Steel Bent and Concrete Steel Pile |
| Date Built | 1929, approaches rebuilt c. 2000 |
| Traffic Count | 15 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 34.5 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 34.5 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 11/21/2017 |
In 1887, the Willmar and Sioux Falls Railway Company (W&SF) began construction on a new 147 mile railroad line between Willmar, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Construction would be completed by 1888. The following year, the Sioux City and Northern Railroad (SCN) Company began construction on 96 miles of new railroad, starting at Garretson, South Dakota and extending south to Sioux City, Iowa. An additional extension would be made in 1893, when the Sioux Falls, Yankton and South Western Railway Company (SFY&SW) constructed 58 miles of new railroad to Yankton, South Dakota. The SFY&SW would be sold to the W&SF in 1893, and the SCN would be sold to the W&SF in 1900. In 1907, Great Northern Railway (GN) purchased the W&SF. GN built and acquired an extensive railroad network throughout Minnesota.
GN operated this route as a mainline. The Sioux City leg of the route provided an important and competitive connection for stock yards at Sioux City to the Twin Cities. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad. The segment between Yankton and Irene was abandoned in 1981, and the segment between Irene and Sioux Falls was abandoned in 1982. BN was in turn merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996, to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Marshall Subdivision over the Willmar to Sioux City segment of this line, and the Corson Subdivision over the Garretson to Sioux Falls segment of this line.
Located on the south side of Granite Falls, this large deck girder viaduct crosses an overflow of the Minnesota River. The previous bridge at this location was a similar bridge. In 1929, the bridge was reportedly reconstructed. The new bridge utilized three 60-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto steel towers with concrete footings, nearly identical to the previous bridge. In addition, the bridge would be approached by wooden trestle spans on either end. In approximately 2000, the ends of the bridge would be rebuilt with new modular concrete spans. The deck girders were fabricated by an unknown firm, and it is unknown if the concrete footings were constructed by a contractor or by railroad company labor. This design of bridge was utilized at a number of locations along this route, as it was an effective solution to crossing deep ravines where large fills were required. Overall, the bridge appears 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 | Great Northern Willmar Division Bridge Index, located at the Minnesota Historical Society |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |