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| Name | Karnak Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #63.9 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 2741 Feet Total, 72 Foot Largest Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 156 Feet |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Steel Tower and Concrete |
| Date Built | 1912 |
| Traffic Count | 10 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 63.9 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 63.9 |
| Significance | High Significance |
| Documentation Date | 7/8/2016; 5/13/2017 |
In 1881, the The Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company
(StPM&M) constructed a new railroad extending from Moorhead, Minnesota to Fargo, North Dakota as part of the new line from Moorhead to Grand Forks. The StPM&M was controlled by James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon who
wished to build a railroad network extending from Minnesota to the
Pacific Coast. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the StPM&M acquired
and constructed numerous new railroad lines throughout North Dakota. In 1907, the StPM&M would be sold to another Hill company, the Great Northern Railway (GN). Because the mainlines between Minneapolis and Fargo and Grand Forks and the Pacific Coast were not connected, a connection between Fargo and Minot was desired. In 1912, the GN completed a 226 mile line, known as the "Surrey Cutoff", to connect the two mainlines. The line began near 12th Avenue in Fargo, and ended at Surrey, immediately east of Minot. The GN utilized this route as part of a principal mainline, and the route significantly improved operations for the GN, as it reduced the transcontinental route by 52 miles. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad
(BN). In 1996, the BN merged
with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996, to form BNSF
Railway. BNSF continues to operate the Moorhead to Nolan segment as the Prosper Subdivision, and the Nolan to Surrey segment as the KO Subdivision.
Located in a rural area west of Luverne, this landmark viaduct carries the BNSF Railway (former Great Northern Railway) across the Sheyenne River Valley. The Great Northern had sought a direct route between Fargo, North Dakota and the main line to the West Coast at Minot, North Dakota. Construction of a diagonal route through sparely populated areas would be completed in 1912. The largest feature of this new route would be the large viaduct across the Sheyenne River.
The viaduct was constructed with 51 deck plate girder spans, set onto steel towers and concrete substructures. The viaduct utilized eight 72-foot spans, eighteen 64-foot spans, nine 48-foot spans and sixteen 36-foot spans, supported by twenty-five total steel towers. The towers of the bridge use laced members, typical of viaducts from this era. The Sheyenne River was dammed up downstream in 1950, creating Lake Ashtabula, which this bridge crosses.
Deck plate girder viaducts were used by railroads to cross large valleys, as this particular viaduct design was more cost effective than large embankments or truss viaducts. Two other large viaducts are still in use in North Dakota, including the Gassman Coulee Viaduct near Minot; and the Hi-Line Bridge, located approximately 30 miles downstream at Valley City. Of the three large viaducts in North Dakota, this bridge is the tallest of the three, but is approximately 1,100 feet shorter than the Hi-Line Bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being highly significant, due to the large scale design, and landmark status in North Dakota.
Citations
| Build Date | Great Northern Minot Division Bridge Index, located at the Minnesota Historical Society |
| Contractor (Superstructure) | Stenciling on bridge |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |