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| Name | UP Grove Street Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #314 1/4 |
| Built By | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois (East Track) American Bridge Company of New York (West Track) |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown (East Track) Unknown (West Track) |
| Length | 36 Feet Total |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 13 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1896, West Track Added 1928 |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | Open to Traffic |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 314 1/4 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 61.73 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/31/2018 |
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 in Le Sueur, this small deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) mainline across Grove Street. It is unknown if there was a bridge at this location prior to 1896. In the late 1890s, the Omaha Road made significant improvements to this line, installing steel spans where possible. In 1896, a single track shallow deck plate girder span was installed here and likely set onto timber piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. This arrangement lasted until 1918, when concrete abutments were installed under the span. Railroad records indicate the 1896 span was replaced by a heavier span in 1925, but this record seems to be incomplete or inaccurate. It is believed that the bridge was widened west for a second track in 1928, and a new span installed while retaining the original 1896 span as the east track. Currently, the bridge consists of two different 36-foot shallow deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete abutments. The east track uses an exceptionally shallow design, consisting of four girders that are approximately 2 feet thick. The west track follows a more standard design for the era, with four heavy girders. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the east track span, while American Bridge Company fabricated the west track span. Unknown contractors constructed the two different sections of the concrete abutments. Deck plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Shallow spans were often preferred for short spans and structures with limited clearance underneath. The exceptionally shallow design of the east track is somewhat unusual, as it is both shallower and a longer span than most 20th Century steel stringer spans. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the structure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date and superstructure builder (1928 span) | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Built date and superstructure builder (1896 span) | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Valuation Engineering Field Notes at the National Archives |
| Build date (abutments) | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Valuation Engineering Field Notes at the National Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |