- 1884: 26 miles completed from Eldora to Alden, Iowa by the Chicago, Iowa & Dakota Railroad
- 1903: CI&D purchased by Chicago & North Western Railway
- 1985: Owasa to Eldora segment abandoned
- 1987: Iowa Falls to Owasa segment abandoned
- 1995: Chicago & North Western purchased by Union Pacific Railroad
- 1995-present: Union Pacific operates the Iowa Falls-Alden line as the Alden Industrial Lead
06/26/21
Located between Alden and Iowa Falls, this bridge is a shadow of what it was prior to 1977.
It is unknown when the bridge was originally built, however it is believed that the original truss bridge was built in approximately 1895, and the girder span in 1907.
The original configuration of the bridge included a 138-foot Quadrangular Through Truss, constructed by Lassig Bridge & Iron Works; as well as a 50 foot deck girder span on the west end. It is likely that neither of these spans were original to this location, as they sat on newer looking concrete substructures.
In 1977, the truss span was replaced by three I-Beam spans, set on steel piles. It is unfortunate that the truss was removed, as it was one of few historic truss spans in Central Iowa.
Currently, the only historic portion of the bridge is the deck girder on the west side.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design. If the truss was still intact, a much higher rating would be given.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Dows Rail Bridge |
| Downstream | Iowa Falls Rail Bridge (West) |