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Hell Creek Trail Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge over Hell Creek
La Vista, Sarpy County, Nebraska

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Hell Creek Trail Bridge
Built By Union Pacific Railroad
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By City of La Vista
Length 50 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1902
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
UP Bridge Number 19.72
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date October 2019 and November 2020


Located near 108th Street and Giles Road in La Vista, this through girder bridge carries the West Papio Trail over Hell Creek.
Built in 1902, the bridge features a simple through girder span, set onto stone substructures. The creek underneath has been channelized through a concrete flume as a way to protect the abutments of the bridge from erosion.
After the bridge was abandoned in 2008, it sat unused until 2017, when work began on rehabilitating the bridge. It officially opened as a trail in 2018.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted.

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 Union Pacific Railroad Environmental Materials
Contractor Missing Plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele