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BNSF S. Fork Whetstone River Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge over S. Fork Whetstone River
Milbank, Grant County, South Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF S. Fork Whetstone River Bridge
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 66 Feet Total
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1913
Traffic Count 6 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
MILW Bridge Number O-276
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date March 2019


Located in Milbank, this bridge crosses the S. Fork of the Whetstone River on the west edge of town.
Built in 1913 during a double tracking project, the bridge features a single through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments.
This type of span is a simple design, commonly used on railroads as medium spans to cross roads and rivers. It is surprising that a concrete arch bridge was not used here, as concrete bridges were commonly used along this route.
The bridge is located at the west end of a small yard in Milbank, and just west of the junction of the Sisseton branch.
Today, this bridge remains largely unaltered. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with mainly cosmetic defects.

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

Citations

Source Type

Source

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