- 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
08/28/21
Located between Pierre and Fort Pierre, this is the most well known railroad bridge in South Dakota.
Built in 1907, this bridge is the first generation structure at this location. In 1907, it was ruled that railroads could build through the Native American Reservations in South Dakota, resulting in this line being continued across South Dakota.
As originally built, the bridge consists of a large swing span, with a pair of 6-panel riveted trusses on either side of the pivot point.
On the east end, the bridge contains a 12-panel, pin connected Pennsylvania Through Truss, and three more identical spans exist on the west side.
When first constructed, the bridge contained trestle approach spans on either side. However, these would later be upgraded.
The approaches were largely replaced in 1927 and 1928. Currently, the east approach contains a pair of deck girder spans built by American Bridge Company for the project.
On the west approach, a single deck girder span was possibly relocated from Winona, Minnesota. This span was built in 1897 by the Lassig Bridge & Iron Works. Currently, this span is also approached by a couple of trestle spans.
The entire bridge rests on a variety of substructures. The truss spans rest on stone substructures, while the east approach rests on concrete substructures and the west approach rests on wooden substructures.
While the main span is a swing span, it has only operated once. It is unknown if it still can operate.
Overall, the bridge remains in good condition. The bridge retains a high level of historical integrity.
Historic photo of the bridge soon after completion
The author has ranked this bridge as being nationally significant, due to the unique design and historical integrity of the structure.
Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad currently operates the bridge. Hopefully they can continue to maintain the high level of historical significance involved with this bridge.
It is worth noting that the bridge has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The photo above is an overview, while the photo below is a photo of the portal bracing. The bridge can be easily accessed on both sides.
| Upstream | Mobridge Rail Bridge |
| Downstream | Chamberlain Rail Bridge |
