Located south of La Porte City, this bridge features four random deck girder spans.
Much is unknown about this bridge. Iowa Northern Railway gave the dates of 1894 for two spans, 1904 for one span and 1933 for another span. However, inspections give dates of 1908 and 1939 for two spans, while the center two spans cannot be determined.
The center two spans appear to date to 1894. However, these spans are "twinned" deck girders, meaning each span has for individual girders. It is unknown if these were built this way originally, or if it was strengthened and/or moved here. In addition, the northern span has a 1908 plaque, and it is also unknown if it was moved here. The southern span is an I-Beam span and has a 1939 plaque, which may have been moved here after the Rock Island bankruptcy. The entire bridge rests on stone and concrete substructures.
Reusing spans was a common way for railroads to save money. Oftentimes, these spans would be strengthened upon relocation. Unfortunately, little information can be found on the bridge.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. The bridge was rebuilt in 2011 to replace failing components.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.