Construction began in early 1863, starting in Omaha and progressing westward. Led by Thomas C. Durant, the route picked would follow the Platte River across Nebraska, and into the Rocky Mountains.
The main challenge of the eastern section was connecting Omaha to Fremont, a short distance. Yet the landscape provided many issues, with a hilly terrain.
By 1866, the road would be complete to Fremont. From here, it would continue west. It would reach the Central Pacific Railroad in 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah.
This completed the first transcontinental mainline.
By 1871, the Union Pacific Railroad aspired to build a bridge over the Missouri River into Council Bluffs. This would allow for connections to numerous eastern railroads, heading to Chicago and St. Louis.
The main connection was the Chicago & North Western, which built a mainline across Iowa, and to Chicago.
Because of the traffic this railroad inevitably would receive, an expansion was undertaken in the earliest part of the 20th century. This included double tracking the entire line to Fremont and further west.
The biggest portion was the Lane Cutoff, providing a straight route between Omaha and Waterloo, Nebraska. This opened in 1908.
The line survived the merger era with no alterations. By 1995, Union Pacific would acquire the Chicago & North Western.
Presently, the line is still one of the most significant mainlines in the country. It is known as the Omaha Subdivision, and is still owned by Union Pacific.
11/21/21
View an article regarding the construction of this route.
One of two massive viaducts over Papillion Creek, this structure crosses Little Papillion Creek near 65th Street and I-80.
Built in 1906, this large bridge towers approximately 96 feet above the creek. It appears that the I-Beam spans were added at a later date, as they do not appear on the original blueprints for the bridge.
It is believed that the bridge still sits about 96 feet above the creek, although it has been channelized considerably. The original temporary structure here was a wooden trestle of the same height, but over half of a mile long. It was largely replaced with embankment and this bridge.
The bridge remains in good condition. The bridge rests on steel towers, set onto concrete substructures. The approach spans rest on steel pile piers.
Plan of the bridge, from the Railroad Gazette; Volume 45
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design but large scale implementation.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from a trail underneath.