BNSF Salt Creek Bridge (Lincoln, South)

Name	BNSF Salt Creek Bridge (Lincoln, South) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #60.92
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Morava Construction Company of Chicago
Length	302 Feet Total, 90 Foot Largest Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete and Steel Pile
Date Built	c. 1930 Using Spans Fabricated 1908
Original Location (s)	Unknown
Traffic Count	40 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	60.92
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	60.92
Significance	Moderate Significance
Documentation Date	10/7/2019

In 1871, the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska (BMRN) began construction on 87 miles of new railroad, extending from Lincoln, Nebraska to Harvard, Nebraska. This line was a planned mainline, extending from Chicago to Denver. The following year, the line would be completed an additional 25 miles to Kenesaw, Nebraska. In 1880, the BMRN constructed a 42 mile segment from Oxford, Nebraska to Indianola, Nebraska, followed by a 110 mile segment to Wray, Nebraska in 1881. The line was completed west to Denver in 1882. In 1883, the line would be extended an additional 40 miles to Holdredge, Nebraska, followed by another 25 miles to Oxford in 1884, connecting the two lines, and completing the mainline from Chicago to Denver. Since 1880, the BMRN had been controlled by stock by the same interests that controlled the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). The BMRN was formally sold to the CB&Q in 1908. The CB&Q and associated ownership came in control or constructed a large number of lines throughout Iowa and Nebraska, and this route would come to serve as one of the most significant routes owned by the CB&Q. Significant upgrades and realignments were made at various points, including a new 4 mile cutoff between Cushman and Cobb to connect the two CB&Q mainlines at Lincoln, completed in 1910. Further work was done throughout in the 1930s and 1950s. CB&Q merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF Railway. BNSF continues to operate the Lincoln-McCook segment as the Hastings Subdivision.

Located north of A Street on the west side of Lincoln, this through girder bridge carries a busy BNSF line across Salt Creek. The previous bridge at this location was a 132-foot Pratt through truss span, fabricated in 1898. Due to the shifting nature of Salt Creek, a new bridge would be required in approximately 1930. This new bridge utilized a 90-foot, two 75-foot, a 32-foot and a 30-foot through plate girder spans, set onto concrete abutments and steel pile piers. The bridge would be set at a heavy skew, although it is unknown if the girders were reused from a skew bridge, or if they were altered. The through girder spans were reused at this location, and a plaque on one of the spans indicates at least one span was fabricated in 1908 by the Morava Construction Company. Little is known about this company, but it is believed they built a handful of bridges for the CB&Q. It is currently unknown if the spans were all reused from the same location, or the locations of where the spans were moved from. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it was a cost effective way to replace bridges. Often, when a span became unsuitable for one location, it could feasibly be rebuilt and reused at another location. Overall, this bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the unique builder.

Builder and build date	Builders Plaque
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF Salt Creek Bridge (Lincoln, South)

Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska