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UP Big Papillion Creek Bridge

Deck Girder Viaduct over Big Papillion Creek
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name UP Big Papillion Creek Bridge
Built By Union Pacific Railroad
Engineer James Keys of Omaha, Nebraska
Contractor (Fabrication) American Bridge Company of New York
Contractor (Erection) Kilpatrick Brothers & Collins Contracting Co. of Beatrice, Nebraska
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 494 Feet Total, 80 Foot Largest Span
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground 65 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder and I-Beam
Substructure Type Concrete, Steel Tower and H-Pile
Date Built 1907, Approaches Rebuilt Ca. 1950
Traffic Count 30 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
UP Bridge Number 9.64
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date December 2019


View an article regarding the construction of this route.

One of two massive viaducts in this area, this structure crosses Big Papillion Creek near 84th Street and I-80.
Built in 1906-07, this large bridge towers approximately 65 feet above the creek. It appears that the I-Beam spans were added at a later date, as they do not appear on the original blueprints for the bridge.
The author unfortunately overlooked two plaques on the main span of this bridge. One has a 1907 date, and the other appears to be an American Bridge Company plaque.
Since the construction of this bridge, the creek below has been channelized considerably. The original temporary structure here was a wooden trestle of the same height, but over half of a mile long. It was largely replaced with embankment and this bridge.
The bridge remains in good condition. The bridge rests on steel towers, set onto concrete substructures. The approach spans rest on steel pile piers.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design but large scale implementation.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from a trail underneath.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Railway Age & Railway Review, Volume 41
Engineer Railway Age & Railway Review, Volume 41
Contractor Railway Age & Railway Review, Volume 41
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele