BNSF 4th Street Bridge (East)

Name	BNSF 4th Street Bridge (East) Northern Pacific Railway Bridge #0
Built By	Northern Pacific Railway
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Substructure Contractor	Unknown (Abutments) Northern Pacific Railway Company Forces (Pier)
Length	45 Feet Total, 22 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track, Formerly 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground	14 Feet 0 Inches
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry and Concrete
Date Built	1889
Traffic Count	30 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	Open to Traffic
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	0.6
Significance	Moderate Significance
Documentation Date	8/26/2015

In 1885, the Saint Paul and Northern Pacific Railway Company (StP&NP) began construction on five separate lines in Minneapolis. Line "A" would extend from Seventh Street in St. Paul to 20th Street in Minneapolis, crossing the Mississippi River twice. Line "B" would extend from St. Anthony Junction (near present day MN-280 and Kasota Avenue) to Northtown Junction. Line "C" would extend along Ramsey Street from Line "A" to Plymouth Avenue. Line "D" consisted of a 1 mile long industrial line along 2nd Street. Line "E" consisted of a connection between Line "A" and Line "C" along Mulberry Street. Work on the five lines would be completed in 1886.

The StP&NP would be purchased by the Northern Pacific Railway (NP) in 1896. NP continued to operate these lines as part of their vast Twin Cities network. Portions of line "C" would be abandoned in the 1960s. In 1970, NP would merge with rival Great Northern Railway and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). Line "E" would be abandoned during the 1970s. Portions of line "A" through downtown Minneapolis were removed during the 1980s, and Bridge #9 was purchased by the City of Minneapolis for trail use. In 1996, BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently owns line "A" and line "B" as part of the St. Paul Subdivision. The northern portions of Line "A" are also used by BNSF as a spur to serve the Cemstone plant. Lines "C" and "D" have largely been developed, and line "E" has become part of a trail.

Located in St. Paul, this bridge carries the former Northern Pacific Railway "East Side Line" across 4th Street. At this location, several railroads converged on St. Paul and operated extensive terminal facilities. To provide better access to the St. Paul Union Depot and improve operations, the NP constructed the East Side Line between late 1888 and early 1889. The new line was located immediately adjacent to the existing Great Northern Railway line, and the bridge across 4th Street shared abutments with the GN bridge. When the bridge was initially constructed, it consisted of a double track deck plate girder span, set onto stone abutments. The only significant alteration to the bridge came in 1926, when a center concrete pier was added to strengthen the structure, giving the bridge its present configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of a 45-foot deck plate girder span, which is separated into two 22-foot spans by the center pier. The bridge is set onto stone abutments and a concrete center pier, and utilizes a ballast deck. The superstructure follows an unusual design, with two heavy plate girders which are braced by standard X-frame braces and an unusual lateral bracing system. This lateral bracing system consists of threaded iron rods, which are drilled through the girders and have a nut at either end. This type of bracing is likely original to the bridge, and is a design that would have been superseded by more traditional bars and plates in the 1880s. The abutments also use an unusual design, with the north abutment consisting of a standard rectangular shape, while the south abutment uses an elongated wall, which also connects to a stone arch culvert over the Trout Brook Sewer. An unknown contractor fabricated the superstructure, while an additional unknown contractor constructed the abutments. The center pier was reportedly constructed by St. Paul Division labor employed by the railroad. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the 1926 reconfiguration, the bridge has seen minor alterations, including replacing some rivets with high strength bolts. In addition, the eastern track was removed in the 1970s. Today, the bridge remains in use as part of a BNSF Railway mainline. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the age and unique design.

Build Date	St. Paul Division Bridge Book at the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association Archives
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF 4th Street Bridge (East)

St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota