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Dexterville Rail Bridge

Parker Pony Truss Bridge over Yellow River
Dexterville, Wood County, Wisconsin

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Dexterville Rail Bridge
Built By Green Bay & Western Railroad
Contractor Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of Milwaukee
Currently Owned By Canadian National Railway
Length 172 Feet Total, 86 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Parker Pony Truss
Substructure Type Stone Masonry and Steel Caisson
Date Built 1898
Traffic Count 3 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
CN Bridge Number 110.4
Significance Moderate Significance


This unique Parker Pony Truss span crosses the Yellow River at Dexterville.
The bridge was built in 1898 to replace an older type bridge. The trusses are built with 6-Panel Riveted Parker Pony Trusses, and were strengthened around 1937.
This design of truss is exclusive to this line in Wisconsin. A similar bridge at Dodge exists further west on this line.
Other Parker Pony Trusses exist in the Midwest, mainly in Missouri along the Katy Trail. One example can be seen in Case, Missouri.
The substructures are made of stone, with the center pier being a steel pile design. The bridge sits parallel to WI-54.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the unique design of the bridge.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date ICC Valuation Bridge Notes at the National Archives
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele