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BNSF Snake Creek Bridge (Mina)

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Snake Creek
Mina, Brown County, South Dakota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name BNSF Snake Creek Bridge (Mina)
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 182 Feet Total, 65 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Arch
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1910, Using Secondhand Materials
Date Fabricated (East Span) 1888
Original Location (East Span) Bridge #B-10; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date Fabricated (West Span) 1887
Original Location (East Span) Bridge #L-322; St. Paul, Minnesota
Traffic Count 4 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
MILW Bridge Number P-318
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date March 2019


Located just east of Mina, this girder and arch bridge crosses Snake Creek parallel to US-12, just east of the Brown/Edmunds County Line.
Built in 1910, the bridge reused older spans, which were strengthened to provide a proper capacity. Both of these girders have a feature in common, as a third girder line was added upon relocation. A third or sometimes fourth girder are typically added with new bracing to strengthen weaker girders.
The larger 65-foot girder was originally built in 1888 across the Menomonee River at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while the smaller 45-foot girder was originally constructed in 1887 as part of a bridge across Prior Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota.
These two girders make up the main spans, and are approached by two concrete arch spans on either side. The entire bridge rests on concrete substructures

The arches appear to be largely unaltered, featuring a concrete channel style deck that would have likely been used on the original girders as well.
The arch approaches were commonly used on Milwaukee Road bridges through the 1910s, as they provided additional soil stabilization on steep banks.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. The girders have some largely cosmetic rust, while the concrete approaches are beginning to spall and show rebar.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the unusual history and unique design.
The photo above is an overview from US-12.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele