UP Fish Creek Bridge (Middle)

Name	UP Fish Creek Bridge (Middle) Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #S-73
Built By	Chicago & North Western Railway
Currently Owned By	Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	116 Feet Total, 30 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Steel Stringer and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Timber Pile
Date Built	c. 1930
Traffic Count	1 Train/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	10/16/2015

In 1867, the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad (CR&MR) completed 6 miles of new railroad, extending from Missouri Valley, Iowa to California Junction, Iowa. The new line was promptly purchased by the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad (SC&P). In 1869, the SC&P would complete 32 miles of new railroad to Fremont, Nebraska. A bridge across the Missouri River at Blair, Nebraska would be completed in 1883. The SC&P would remain independent, until it was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1901. The C&NW had constructed and acquired a large number of railroad lines throughout the midwest. This line provided a critical connection between the Chicago-Omaha mainline at Missouri Valley, and the Nebraska Division lines at Fremont. In 1995, the C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad. This line now serves as the Blair Subdivision, and is a critical connection between the Union Pacific network at Fremont and the mainline at Missouri Valley.

Located in Blair, this small steel stringer bridge is the middle of three crossings of Fish Creek. The bridge was likely constructed in approximately 1930, when the West River Track was constructed. The bridge consists of a single 30-foot steel stringer span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. It is currently unknown which company fabricated the bridge. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was cheap and easy to construct. 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.

UP Fish Creek Bridge (Middle)

Blair, Washington County, Nebraska