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| Name | BNSF Valley Street Bridge Northern Pacific Railway Bridge #234 |
| Built By | Northern Pacific Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 25 Feet Total |
| Width | 3 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 11 Feet 0 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| 1906, Eastern Tracks Replaced c. 1980 | |
| Traffic Count | 50 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Northern Pacific Railway Bridge Number | 234 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 234.5 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/1/2020 |
In 1871, the Northern Pacific Railroad (NP) continued building west from Staples, Minnesota; reaching Moorhead by the end of the year. The line extended to Duluth on the east. The line would be extended west to Bismarck, North Dakota by 1882. In 1877, the St. Paul & Northern Pacific Railway (StP&NP) would purchase and complete the partially built Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad line between Sauk Rapids and Brainerd, a distance of 61 miles. At Brainerd, the line connected to the NP line. Between 1883 and 1884, the StP&NP would complete an additional 66 miles from Northtown Junction in Minneapolis to Sauk Rapids. A 33 mile connection between Little Falls and Staples would be completed by the StP&NP in 1889. In 1896, the NP and StP&NP were sold and reorganized as the Northern Pacific Railway (NP).
NP operated the Minneapolis to Moorhead segment of this line as their mainline between the Twin Cities and the Pacific Coast. As a result, significant reconstruction was done to the original route. The route was double tracked between 1902 and 1910, including a large reconstruction of the route between Hawley and Dilworth. In 1970, NP would merge with rival Great Northern Railway and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). In 1996, BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Northtown to Moorhead portion of this line as the Staples Subdivision, and it is one of the busiest railroad lines in Minnesota.
Located in Hawley, this bridge carries the former Northern Pacific Railway mainline over Valley Street. Originally built in 1906, the bridge would be extended with two additional tracks on the east side in 1909. The bridge consists of a single 25-foot steel stringer span, set onto concrete abutments. The superstructure was fabricated by an unknown contractor, and it is unknown if the substructure was constructed by railroad company forces or by contract. The bridge was reportedly strengthened in 1945. There is some discrepancy regarding the history of this bridge, as the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) states that this structure was constructed in 1928, while NP records give the 1906/1909 dates. This style of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. The eastern two tracks of the bridge would be replaced by a modern steel stringer span in approximately 1980. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some spalling of the abutments noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build dates | St. Paul Division Bridge Book at the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |