Located in Nebraska City, this girder and stringer bridge carries the Omaha Public Power District line over the Union Pacific Falls City Subdivision and 3rd Street.
The original bridge at this location was a 130' through pin connected truss and a 30 foot deck girder built to cross the Missouri Pacific. It is unknown how old this bridge was when it was replaced.
In 1970, Burlington Northern upgraded the bridges in Nebraska City. This upgrade included replacing the original truss at this location.
As part of the replacement, a through girder span was relocated from an unknown location. This span was originally fabricated in 1917. Two new concrete piers were built, and three 1970 vintage steel stringer spans were erected. The original stone abutments and stone pier were all reused.
The girder is the only historic part of this bridge. It is not unusual for railroads to decide to reuse older spans that still have life left in them. It appears that some other bridges along this line may be built of secondhand spans as well.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the newer age. Despite this, further research is being conducted on the through girder span.
The photo above is an overview.