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| Name | Corson Railroad Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #134.8 |
| Built By | Willmar & Sioux Falls Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Length | 274 Feet Total, 120 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Warren Pony Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | 1902 |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 134.8 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 134.8 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 1/1/2016 |
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 in the small town of Corson, this pony truss bridge is the 10th crossing of Split Rock Creek along this line. Built in 1902, the bridge consists of a 120-foot riveted 8-panel Warren pony truss, two 60-foot deck plate girder spans on the south and one 32-foot deck plate girder span on the north end. The entire bridge is set onto abutments and piers primarily built of Sioux quartzite, a pink colored rock that is quarried nearby. This style truss span featured heavy lattice members, and was used at several locations along the Great Northern and related lines. Many of these truss spans have since been replaced. 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 | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |