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BNSF County 35 Bridge

Concrete Slab Bridge over County Road 35
East of Andover, Day County, South Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF County 35 Bridge
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 29 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 11 Feet 0 Inches
Superstructure Type Concrete Slab
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1913
Traffic Count 6 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
MILW Bridge Number O-382 1/2
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date March 2019


Located between Andover and Bristol, this simple concrete slab span crosses 419th Avenue (County Road 35) south of the intersection with US-12.
Built in 1913 during a line change and double tracking project, the bridge features a single concrete slab span. The bridge is strictly functional, with no decorative features. Also unusual, the bridge is one of the only single track structures between Minneapolis and Aberdeen. The double track once resumed again in both Andover and Bristol.
This type of span is a simple design, commonly used along this line and others in the Milwaukee Road system due to the cheap and efficient construction.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Some spalling and cracking can be seen throughout the bridge, although not as severe as other nearby bridges.
When the author visited this bridge, it was right after a major snowstorm. Evidence of this can be seen in the above photos, although this is one of the few roads that was "clear".

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and old age. This bridge is on an unusual jag in this generally east/west route. The jag was built because the railroad has an elevation change of approximately 300 feet between Andover and Bristol, and the curve helps relieve some of the grades. The single track status of this line could possibly be attributed to this grade.
The grade is part of a bigger landform, known as Coteau des Prairies, a plateau extending through northeast South Dakota. When the railroad reconstructed this route, this plateau featured some of the biggest issues of the entire Minneapolis-Aberdeen project.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

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