View an article about the construction of this route.
Located north of Melcher-Dallas, this massive deck girder bridge crosses White Breast Creek.
Built during the initial construction of the line in 1912, the bridge features a single deck plate girder span, set onto concrete piers. In addition, it is approached by trestle spans on either side.
The girder span is unusually large. At 110 feet in length, this is one of the largest spans on the Des Moines-Allerton route. If this span had been built even a decade earlier, it undoubtedly would have been a massive truss.
Due to the nature of the crossing, good overviews are difficult to come by. Coupled with the fact that the girder span is absolutely massive, and even a wide angle lens cannot produce a good overview.
It is assumed that American Bridge Company constructed this span, as they constructed many other spans along this route.
This type of bridge was common for both crossing small creeks and roadways, due to the simple nature of the design.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with little deterioration noted on the steel span.
The author has rated this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.