Click the photo to view the full-size version
| Name | Sertoma Park Trail Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #150.7 |
| Built By | Willmar & Sioux Falls Railway |
| Currently Owned By | City of Sioux Falls |
| Superstructure Contractor | Pennsylvania Steel Company of Steelton, Pennsylvania |
| Length | 312 Feet Total, 148 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Warren Through Truss and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1906 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 150.7 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 12/30/2014 |
In 1887, the Willmar and Sioux Falls Railway Company (W&SF) began construction on a new 147 mile railroad line between Willmar, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Construction would be completed by 1888. The following year, the Sioux City and Northern Railroad (SCN) Company began construction on 96 miles of new railroad, starting at Garretson, South Dakota and extending south to Sioux City, Iowa. An additional extension would be made in 1893, when the Sioux Falls, Yankton and South Western Railway Company (SFY&SW) constructed 58 miles of new railroad to Yankton, South Dakota. The SFY&SW would be sold to the W&SF in 1893, and the SCN would be sold to the W&SF in 1900. In 1907, Great Northern Railway (GN) purchased the W&SF. GN built and acquired an extensive railroad network throughout Minnesota.
GN operated this route as a mainline. The Sioux City leg of the route provided an important and competitive connection for stock yards at Sioux City to the Twin Cities. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad. The segment between Yankton and Irene was abandoned in 1981, and the segment between Irene and Sioux Falls was abandoned in 1982. BN was in turn merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996, to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Marshall Subdivision over the Willmar to Sioux City segment of this line, and the Corson Subdivision over the Garretson to Sioux Falls segment of this line.
Located on the south side of Sioux Falls, this through truss bridge carries a pedestrian trail across the Big Sioux River at Sertoma Park. Built in 1906 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company, the bridge features a 148-foot riveted 6-panel Warren through truss, approached by a trestle approach on the north end. The truss utilizes design features typical of bridges from this era, including laced members, lattice portals and riveted connections. The pier and abutment of the bridge are constructed of Sioux Quartzite, a pink colored rock quarried nearby. The Warren design was first adopted for use by the Great Northern around the turn of the 20th Century, and remained popular into the 1930s. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Pennsylvania Steel Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |