Roughly paralleling the Missouri River, the route built in conjunction of another route, running between Mott and Cannonball.
Built by the Western Dakota Railway, that route and the Mandan-Cannonball route would form a branch line of the Northern Pacific Railway. Both railroads would be merged into the NP system in 1914.
In 1967, a portion of the line between Cannonball and Flasher was abandoned in favor of other connections.
The remaining route remained largely unchanged until Northern Pacific merged with rival Great Northern and partner Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern in 1970.
In 1987, the remainder of the route would be abandoned by Burlington Northern. The Fort Lincoln Trolley would save a small segment through Mandan.
Today, that segment in Mandan is all that remains.
07/17/21
This large through truss bridge crosses the Heart River in Mandan.
Originally built in 1910, the bridge features a single pin connected Pratt Through Truss span.
With no approaches, the bridge sits on concrete abutments. Using a standardized design, the bridge features 8 panels.
Overall, the bridge remains in very good condition. The structure has changed very little since it was first constructed in 1910.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the lack of historic railroad truss bridges in North Dakota.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed by walking down the railroad, which also appears to serve as a nature trail for Mandan residents.