UP Bridge #52.44

Blakeley, Scott County, Minnesota

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Looking south
Span
North abutment
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Looking north
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Default Pic
Looking south
Looking south
Span
North abutment
Span
Looking north
Looking north
Looking south
Overview
Span
Overview
Overview
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Caption:
Name UP Bridge #52.44
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #256
Built By Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor Unknown
Length 30 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design Stone Masonry
Date Built 1902
Traffic Count 5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status Open to Traffic
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number 256
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number 52.44
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 3/4/2012
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 crosses an unnamed creek. Built in 1902, the bridge consists of a single 30-foot standard deck plate girder span, set onto stone abutments. 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. 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 Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Valuation Information at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele