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IAIS McPherson Avenue Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Viaduct over McPherson Avenue
Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name IAIS McPherson Avenue Bridge
Built By Chicago Great Western Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Iowa Interstate Railroad
Length 150 Feet Total, 45 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Modular Girder
Substructure Type Steel Tower and Steel Pile
Date Built 1901, Approaches Rebuilt 2013
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
IAIS Bridge Number 484.6
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date January 2017


Located in Council Bluffs, this deck girder bridge crosses McPherson Avenue near I-80.
Built in 1901, the bridge features deck plate girder spans on steel towers, with I-Beams on the towers. Approach spans were originally built of trestle, but were replaced with concrete modular approaches in 2013.
Fortunately, the significant part of the bridge, the girders, were preserved and repaired. Currently, the bridge is used by Iowa Interstate. This bridge is one of the highest along the Iowa Interstate in Iowa.
Large steel viaducts like this were common to cross deep valleys without having to build a fill.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition.

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

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date 1992 National Bridge Inventory
Contractors Missing American Bridge Company plaque