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| Name | BNSF Redwood River Bridge #5 Great Northern Railway Bridge #72.6 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 208 Feet Total, 67 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 40 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry, Steel Tower, Concrete and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1902, Approaches Rebuilt 1951 |
| Traffic Count | 10 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | Open to Traffic |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 72.6 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 72.6 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/18/2012 |
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 in Camden State Park north of Russell, this large deck plate girder viaduct serves as the fifth crossing of the Redwood River along this route. Built in 1902, the bridge features three deck plate girder spans, set onto steel towers. The steel towers are supported by stone footings. In 1951, the bridge was modified with timber pile trestle spans added on either end, and the original abutments reconstructed with concrete. This style of bridge was used at a number of other locations along this line. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no major deterioration noted. The author has ranked the 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 |