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| Name | BNSF Hazen Brook Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #12.0 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 121 Feet Total, 36 Foot Main Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Slab |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1914, West End Reconstructed c. 1940 |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 12.0 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 12.0 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/11/2020 |
In 1880, the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway (StPM&M) began construction of a new railroad line, extending from Grand Forks, North Dakota westwards towards Minot, North Dakota. The railroad would be constructed in stages, gradually extending west. The first twelve miles would be constructed to west of Emerado that year, followed by 16 miles to Larimore in 1881; 40 miles to Bartlett in 1882; 30 miles to Devil's Lake in 1883;, and 121 miles to Minot in 1886. The line would later be extended westwards through Montana, Idaho and Washington; before reaching the Pacific Coast at Seattle in 1893.
During the 1880s, the StPM&M would acquire and construct a large
amount of railroad lines throughout the north central and northwest United States. Owned by railroad
magnate James J. Hill, the railroad would continue to grow into the
1890s, before being sold to the Great Northern Railway (GN) in 1907.
The GN, like the StPM&M, was owned by James J. Hill.
This route formed a principal mainline of the Great Northern Railway, extending from Duluth to Seattle. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad.
BN was in turn merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in
1996, to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates this line as the Devil's Lake Subdivision.
Located near 25th Street in Emerado, this deck plate girder bridge crosses Hazen Brook. Built in 1914 to replace a timber trestle, the bridge initially consisted of three 36-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by two standard 16-foot concrete slab spans on the east end, and set onto concrete substructures. In approximately 1940, it was decided to reconstruct the west end of the bridge, and the western deck plate girder was removed, and a 16-foot concrete slab span installed. It is unknown why this change was made, but it may have been related to the bridge being longer than necessary. It is unknown if the removed span was used at another location. This style of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with deterioration noted throughout the structure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build Date | Great Northern Valuation Reports; Courtesy of GNRHS Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |