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Northcote Rail Bridge

Through Plate Girder Bridge over South Branch Two Rivers
Northcote, Kittson County, Minnesota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Northcote Rail Bridge
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Length 138 Feet Total, 60 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder and Trestle
Substructure Type Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built 1943, Possibly Using an Older Span
Traffic Count 4 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
BNSF Bridge Number 76.08
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date August 2020


Located north of Northcote, this through girder bridge crosses the North Branch Two Rivers along US Highway 75.
Built 1943, the bridge consists of a single through plate girder span, set onto concrete piers and approached by trestle spans on either side. It is unknown if the girder span is original to this location, although it appears it may have been moved here from another spot. Further research is being conducted on this.
Bridges such as this were often used as permanent solutions to trestles, as they were cheap, easy to construct and easy to maintain.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with little deterioration noted on the structure.

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 Date Stamp
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele