Winona Railroad Bridge (North)

View an article describing the reconstruction of this bridge

Located in Winona, this bridge was the northern of two Mississippi River crossings in this city. At this location, the Mississippi River is very wide, and required a considerable bridge across it. By the early 1870s, the C&NW desired a connection between the Winona & St. Peter Railway and the C&NW line which had been constructed to the Mississippi River east of Winona. Construction on the first bridge began in 1871. The first bridge consisted of approximately 2,100 feet of timber pile trestle on the Winona side, set at a 1% grade. An 80-foot Howe truss span approached a 356-foot Post through truss swing span, which allowed the passage of river traffic through dual 160-foot openings. The swing span was flanked by two 246-foot Howe through truss spans on the east, which were approached by approximately 1,000 feet of timber pile trestle across an island. The trestle was approached by four 160-foot Howe truss spans and approximately 400 feet of timber pile trestle to the east. The truss spans were constructed using a combination design, with iron tension members and wooden compression members. Stone masonry was used for four piers under the swing span and 250-foot spans. With the exception of the four piers at the main channel crossing, the remaining substructures were constructed of timber piles. The bridge was constructed under the direction of Andrew DeGraff, a prominent railroad contractor from Minneapolis. At the time of completion, the 356-foot swing span was among the largest ever constructed.

Almost immediately after opening, the swing span was destroyed in an accident. The span remained out of service until 1872, when it was rebuilt with a similar span. The first major rebuilding of the bridge came in 1875, when the trestle on the east end of the bridge was replaced by nine 45-foot queenpost truss spans, set onto pile piers. The following year, the trestle between the 250-foot spans and the 160-foot spans was replaced by seven wooden Howe truss spans, each 142 feet long. By the mid-1880s, the combination spans had become unsuitable for the increasingly heavy loads, and the bridge would be rebuilt. Five 160-foot riveted quadrangular lattice through truss spans and seven 142-foot spans of the same design would be installed on the east approach, and new stone piers constructed. These new spans used a standard design, including light members, a pedimented portal bracing and riveted connections. This style of lattice truss was used extensively throughout the C&NW system. Similar to most lattice spans constructed by the C&NW, these spans were fabricated by the Lassig Bridge & Iron Works. The new stone substructures were constructed by an unknown contractor. The new stone substructures were constructed by an unknown contractor.

The original 246-foot spans remained in service until 1893, when they were replaced by 10-panel, pin-connected Parker through truss spans of the same length. The swing span and west approach span were replaced in 1899 by new steel spans, fabricated by the Detroit Bridge & Iron Works. The new swing span consisted of two 7-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss leafs, set over the existing swing pier and connected by a tower. This swing span would use a rim-bearing design, where the superstructure is set onto a metal drum, which rotates along a track. The 80-foot span was replaced by an 85-foot deck plate girder span. The swing span and 246-foot spans all used lightweight members and an attractive lattice portal bracing. Throughout the late 19th Century, the extensive trestle approaches on the west end were gradually filled.

By the 1920s, the bridge had become too light for modern traffic, and would require significant upgrades. The first major project included constructing a new pier #8 between the third and fourth 160-foot truss spans. It is believed that this pier was constructed in response to a failing stone pier. Starting in 1928, the entire east approach would be reconstructed. Widell Company was contracted to construct 30 new concrete piers, and the American Bridge Company was contracted to supply 31 new deck plate girder spans of varying lengths. Work continued with the replacement of the 160-foot and 142-foot spans between 1928 and 1929. Prior to starting on replacing the 246-foot spans, the Great Depression hit, and it was decided to cease work. The six spans ordered to replace the 246-foot spans were delivered, and would be stored in the yard at Winona until financial conditions allowed the project to be completed. In 1941, the remaining spans would be installed, giving the bridge its current configuration. The 160-foot and 142-foot spans would be reused at various locations throughout the Black Hills and Dakota Divisions, while the 246-foot spans were scrapped. Many of the 160-foot and 142-foot spans continue to serve railroad traffic today, particularly across various crossings of the Bad River in South Dakota.

At the time of abandonment, the bridge consisted of, from west to east:

3 span pile trestle
85' deck plate girder
356' pin-connected through truss swing span
6-90', 16-71', 4-65', 2-75', 1-65', 1-45', 1-40' and 1-41' deck plate girder spans

The bridge would be abandoned in 1977, and would later be sold to the City of Winona. The swing span was removed at the request of the Coast Guard in 1979. In 1981, the main span of the bridge was demolished, and spans #9-#22 would be removed. The deck plate girder spans were relocated to a farm near Minnesota City, where they sat unused until 2020, when it appears they were scrapped. It is unknown what the future plans for this bridge include, although it seems likely that the remainder of the bridge will be scrapped at some point. Initially, the scrap value of spans #9-#22 was intended to fund the conversion of the remaining bridge to a fishing pier. Overall, the remaining portions of the bridge appear to be in fair condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the superstructure and substructure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design of the remaining spans.