06/26/21
Located near the small town of Exira, this small deck girder bridge carries the T-Bone Trail over the East Nishnabotna River.
Built in approximately 1930 with girders fabricated in approximately 1895, the bridge features a pair of mismatched deck girder spans, approached by trestle. The entire bridge sits on timber substructures.
These girders appear to be relocated from an unknown location, or possibly locations. The technique of reusing secondhand material on bridges along branch lines was commonly used along Rock Island routes to save money.
The northern girder is a 27-foot long structure, featuring shallow girders. The southern girder is a 44-foot long structure, with slightly deeper girders. Any information on these spans cannot be found.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. It appears that the substructures have begun to deteriorate.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.