BNSF 15th Avenue Bridge

Located on the north edge of the University of Minnesota campus, this girder and slab bridge carries the former Great Northern Railway and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) East Minneapolis Yard over 15th Avenue Southeast. The first bridge at this location was constructed between 1890 and 1891, and consisted of a light plate girder structure. By the early 20th Century, trains had become significantly heavier and the two railroads would need to upgrade the structure. In 1919, the Omaha Road replaced their portion of the bridge, constructing the northern two tracks of the present structure. In 1921, the GN followed by constructing the southern seven tracks of the bridge, giving the structure its current configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of a 54-foot girder span, approached by a 12-foot concrete slab span on either end. The northern portion of the bridge uses a ballast deck through plate girder span, while the southern portion uses a deck plate girder main span. The entire bridge is set onto steel bent piers and concrete abutments. Unknown contractors fabricated the superstructure, and additional unknown contractors constructed the abutments. Girder bridges were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in poor condition, with deterioration seen throughout the structure. The author has rated the bridge as locally significant, due to the common design. Research into the history of this bridge is ongoing.