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UP South Ravine Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over South Ravine
Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name UP South Ravine Bridge
Built By Chicago & North Western Railway
Contractor Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 152 Feet Total, 52 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck girder and Trestle
Substructure Type Timber Pile
Date Built 1895?
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
C&NW Bridge Number 556
UP Bridge Number 72.09
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date September 2021
A brief history of the Union Pacific Sioux City Subdivision:


04/03/22


Located along I-29 in Sioux City, this deck girder bridge crosses South Ravine, a small creek.
Although the bridge has a plaque, little is known about the history of this structure. The plaque is heavily corroded and only the first three digits of the date can be made out. It is possible the plaque gives a date of 1895.
In addition, the girder features a twinned design, with extra girders added for strength. It is unknown if the original span was rebuilt at this location, or if the entire main span was relocated from other location(s).
Currently, the bridge consists of a single deck plate girder span, set onto timber substructures. It is approached by trestle spans on either side.
Spans like this were common to replace trestles, due to the ease of construction. The timber substructures imply that this bridge may have been moved here, a technique common for reducing costs.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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