- 1884: 16 miles completed between Wyeville and Necedah, Wisconsin by the Princeton and Western Railway
- 1911: 125 miles completed from Necedah to Butler, Wisconsin by the Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway
- Double track constructed between Butler and Clyman Junction
- Connection to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway mainline at Wyeville, providing faster connection to the Twin Cities
- 1912: 23 miles completed from Wyeville to Sparta, Wisconsin by the Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway
- 1912: Princeton and Western acquired by the Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway
- 1912: MS&NW acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1959: Second track removed from Butler to Clyman
- 1972: Tunnel collapse at Tunnel City, Wisconsin
- 1977: Line abandoned between Tunnel City and Sparta due to tunnel collapse
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Adams Subdivision from Butler to Adams
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Wyeville Subdivision from Adams to Wyeville
- 1995-Present: Union Pacific operates the Winona Subdivision from Wyeville to Tunnel City
06/16/22
This large swing bridge crosses Buffalo Lake in a rather remote part of Marquette County.
Buffalo Lake is actually a pool of the Fox River, which flows northwards towards Green Bay.
The bridge here is a massive swing bridge. The main span features large Quadrangular Through Truss swing span. This span has riveted connections and massive M-Frame portal bracings.
Approaching the main span structure are deck girder spans, supported on steel bents. The remaining substructures are of concrete construction.
The main truss span has been constructed for two tracks, while the approaches only have been constructed for one. The towers however, are all expandable for two tracks.
It appears that the swing mechanism is still fully in place, and the bridge could be moved with a little work.
The best way to access this bridge is from Lakeview Drive. Since I-39 is on the other side of the bridge, this is not an ideal area to access the bridge from.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the uncommon design and the unique use of a swing span.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Abandoned Swan Lake Bridge |
| Downstream | Princeton Trail Bridge |