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DM&E Straight River Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Straight River
Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota

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Name DM&E Straight River Bridge
Built By Chicago & North Western Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad
Length 167 Feet Total, 70 Foot Largest Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 25 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder and Stone Parapet
Substructure Type Stone Masonry and Concrete
Date Built 1919
Traffic Count 5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
DM&E Bridge Number M216
Significance Local Significance

A brief history of the Chicago & North Western route between Winona, Minnesota and Rapid City, South Dakota:

  • 1864: 50 miles completed from Winona to Rochester, Minnesota by the Winona & St. Peter Railway
  • 1865: 55 miles completed from Rochester to Waseca, Minnesota by the Winona & St. Peter Railway
  • 1867: W&StP is controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
  • 1870: 11 miles completed from Waseca to Janesville, Minnesota by the Winona & St. Peter Railway
  • 1871: 23 miles completed from Janesville to Mankato, Minnesota by the Winona & St. Peter Railway
  • 1872: 30 miles completed from Mankato to New Ulm, Minnesota via St. Peter by the Winona & St. Peter Railway
  • 1877: 62 miles completed from New Ulm to Tracy, Minnesota by the Winona & St. Peter Railway
  • 1879: 46 miles completed from Tracy, Minnesota to Elkhorn, South Dakota by the Chicago and Dakota Railway
  • 1879: 25 miles completed from Elkhorn to Volga, South Dakota by the Dakota Central Railway
  • 1880: 184 miles completed from Volga to Pierre, South Dakota by the Dakota Central Railway
  • 1881: Chicago and Dakota Railway controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
  • 1900: 26 miles completed from Mankato to New Ulm, Minnesota by the Mankato & New Ulm Railway
  • 1900: The Winona & St. Peter, Chicago and Dakota, Dakota Central and Mankato & New Ulm Railway all are merged into the Chicago & North Western Railway
  • 1905: Native American land west of the Missouri River opened to settlement
  • 1906: 76 miles completed from Ft. Pierre to Philip, South Dakota by the Pierre, Rapid City & Northwestern Railway
  • 1906: 45 miles completed from Rapid City to Wasta, South Dakota by the Pierre, Rapid City & Northwestern Railway
  • 1907: 3 miles completed from Pierre to Ft. Pierre, South Dakota by the Pierre & Ft. Pierre Bridge Railway, including the bridge across the Missouri River
  • 1907: 44 miles completed from Pierre to Philip, South Dakota by the Pierre, Rapid City & Northwestern Railway
  • 1907: Pierre, Rapid City & Northwestern and the Pierre & Ft. Pierre Bridge Railway controlled by the Chicago & North Western Railway
  • 1937: Burdette to Kasota segment abandoned
  • 1957: Kasota to St. Peter segment abandoned, and Minnesota River Bridge removed
  • 1963: St. Peter to Traverse segment abandoned
  • 1970: Traverse to New Ulm Quarry segment abandoned
  • 1986: Winona to Rapid City route, and New Ulm Quarry spur sold to Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad amid C&NW abandonment proposals
  • 2008: DM&E purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway and operated as a subsidiary
  • 2014: CP sells Tracy, Minnesota to Rapid City, South Dakota to Genesee Wyoming owned Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad
  • 2008-Present: Canadian Pacific (DM&E) operates the Winona to Waseca segment as the Waseca Subdivision
  • 2008-Present: Canadian Pacific (DM&E) operates the Waseca to Tracy segment as the Tracy Subdivision
  • 2014-Present: Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern operates the Tracy to Huron segment as the Huron Subdivision
  • 2014-Present: Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern operates the Huron to Pierre segment as the Pierre Subdivision
  • 2014-Present: Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern operates the Pierre to Rapid City segment as the PRC Subdivision

06/26/21


Located on the north side of Owatonna, this deck girder bridge crosses the Straight River.
Built in 1919 to replace a quadrangular truss built in 1884, the bridge features two deck girder spans. These spans are set onto stone masonry abutments and a concrete pier.
Bridges like this oftentimes replaced older truss bridges, as in this case. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The phot above is an overview.

Straight River Railroad Bridges
Upstream UP Straight River Bridge #4
Downstream UP Straight River Bridge #5

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad bridge records
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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