By 1868, the line would be completed. At the same time, the St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad would begin building from the state line towards St. Joseph.
The two lines were completed, and owned by the St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad by 1869.
By 1870, the line would change to the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad.
The line was built to connect Council Bluffs with Kansas City, and St. Joseph. The railroad was leased to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.
By 1901, the CB&Q completely purchased the railroad. The line connected to several CB&Q mainlines.
The CB&Q continued ownership of this line until 1970, when they merged with Great Northern and Northern Pacific to form Burlington Northern.
The BN operated this line until 1996, when they merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe to form BNSF Railway, the current owners of this line.
Today, the Council Bluffs to Pacific Junction segment is known as the Council Bluffs Subdivision, the Pacific Junction to East Rulo section is known as the Napier Subdivision; and the remaining portions are part of the St. Joseph Subdivision.
10/25/22
This standard Baltimore Through Truss bridge lies at the end of a minimum maintenance road, and crosses a channelized section of the Tarkio River.
The bridge is simple in design, featuring a single Baltimore Through Truss span with riveted connections and 6 panels. This span rests on concrete substructures.
In addition, the structure is approached on the south by a pair of concrete beam spans; which replaced a wooden trestle span. These were added in approximately 2000.
While the bridge is of newer age than similar crossings, it does retain a high level of historic integrity, with minimal alterations. The portal is a simple beam type structure.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the newer and more common design of the structure.
The photo above is an overview from an overcast morning. The author hopes to return to this bridge soon for better photos.
| Upstream | Tarkio River Trail Bridge |
| Downstream | Mouth at Missouri River |