The line crossed across the Big Sioux a number of times, crossing between Iowa and South Dakota.
The line was merged into the Sioux City and Dakota Railroad in 1879.
By 1881, the line became a branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, also known as the Milwaukee Road.
In 1913, following an escapade to the Pacific Ocean, the railroad became known as the Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railway.
Heading north out of Sioux Falls, the Milwaukee Road also operated a branch to North Dakota.
By 1981, with the Milwaukee Road falling to bankruptcy, the Dakota & Iowa (D&I) Railroad was formed as a joint coalition between Iowa and South Dakota to operate the former branch to Sioux City.
Today, D&I continues to operate the line from Sioux Falls to Sioux City, as well as the Dell Rapids branch.
06/16/22
Located at the town of Fairview, this heavily constructed truss bridge is one of several crossings of the Big Sioux River on this line.
The girder spans were originally built in 1905 as a bridge across the Menomonee River at Wauwautosa, Wisconsin. When the river was straightened, the bridges were then removed for reuse.
In 1911, the through girder spans were moved here and approached by trestle. A truss was installed in 1932, and the through girders reused as approaches.
The main truss span is a design typical of the Milwaukee Road during the early 1930s. It features 8 panels, riveted connections and large rolled members. When the truss was installed, concrete piers were also constructed. The remaining substructures are built of timber piles.
An identical truss span is located a few miles south near Hudson, and was reportedly built the same year by the same company. It is unknown if Lakeside Bridge built other spans as well.
In 2014, the trestle approaches to the bridge sustained heavy damage and were repaired with new steel stringer spans.
The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview of the bridge.
Upstream | Canton Rail Bridge |
Downstream | Oak Ridge Rail Bridge |