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| Name | BNSF Bridge #8.3 Great Northern Railway Bridge #8.3 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 40 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | c. 1940 |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 8.3 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 8.3 |
| 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 along 17th Avenue east of Emerado, this steel stringer bridge crosses an unnamed creek. Built in approximately 1940 to replace a girder span, the bridge consists of a single 40-foot steel stringer span, set onto concrete abutments. Evidence of the past girder span can be seen in the abutments, which utilize a newer concrete portion on an older concrete portion. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. The GN extensively used this design to replace timber trestles and girder spans. 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
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |