BNSF Pine Creek Bridge (Stratford)

Name	BNSF Pine Creek Bridge (Stratford) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #106.02
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	48 Feet Total
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	50 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Stone Arch
Substructure Design	Bedrock and Stone Masonry
Date Built	1894
Traffic Count	20 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	106.02
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	106.02
Significance	Moderate Significance
Documentation Date	3/19/2023

In 1868, the Ogle and Carroll County Railroad (O&CC) began construction on 16 miles of new railroad, extending from Rochelle to Oregon, Illinois. In early 1869, the Chicago and Iowa Railroad Company (C&I) began construction on a 45-mile section of new railroad to connect Aurora, Illinois with the line at Rochelle. The O&CC merged into the C&I in 1871. The Aurora to Rochelle segment would be completed in 1871, and the portion to Oregon completed in 1873. At Aurora, the railroad connected to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad mainline. The CB&Q had begun to construct and acquire a large network of railroads through the Midwest. Because the CB&Q was affiliated with the railroads owned by James J. Hill in Minnesota, a connection between the two systems was desired. Between 1883 and 1886, the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad (CB&N) constructed 330 miles of new railroad, extending from Oregon, Illinois to Savanna, Illinois; then north along the Mississippi River through La Crosse, Wisconsin; to St. Paul, Minnesota. The CB&N and C&I would both be sold to the CB&Q in 1899. By the early 20th Century, traffic had significantly increased on the northern portion of the line. Double tracking projects were begun in 1910, with the entirety of the Savanna to La Crosse line double tracked by 1916. North of La Crosse, short sections were double tracked in the 1910s, but the majority was constructed between 1927 and 1929. This route served as a principal mainline for the CB&Q, providing a connection to the transcontinental lines of the Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway. In 1970, the CB&Q was merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Aurora Subdivision between Aurora and La Crosse, and the St. Croix Subdivision between La Crosse and St. Paul. The line continues to serve as a critical mainline for BNSF, and makes up a portion of the northern BNSF transcontinental route.

Located east of Stratford, this unique stone arch bridge carries the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad over Pine Creek in White Pines Forest State Park. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, intended to be temporary until a permanent structure could be constructed. In 1894, the bridge would be reconstructed with the current stone arch. The bridge consists of a 48-foot stone arch span, set onto stone and bedrock abutments. Instead of driving piles to bedrock, the west abutment is constructed by placing the arch directly onto a limestone cliff, which was carved to accommodate the bridge. The arch itself uses a shallow design, due to the amount of excavation that would have been required to create a semicircular arch. It is believed that the bridge was constructed by an unknown contractor. Stone arch spans were popular with railroads, as they provided a durable and easy to construct design. It is very unusual for an arch to rest directly onto a cliff, and this design was likely only chosen to minimize excavation. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. Steel beams have been added under the arch to reinforce the abutments and cliff. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the unusual design.

Build date	Date carving
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF Pine Creek Bridge (Stratford)

Stratford, Ogle County, Illinois