BNSF 4th Street Bridge (West)

Located in St. Paul, this steel stringer bridge carries the former Northern Pacific Railway "Line A" across 4th Street. At this location, several railroads converged on St. Paul and operated extensive terminal facilities. The first bridge at this location likely consisted of a timber truss bridge, set onto stone abutments. As the terminals were expanded, the bridge was extended west in 1882 and 1888, with additional tracks added. It is believed that the bridge was reconstructed with an iron girder span at some point in the 1880s. By the turn of the 20th Century, locomotives had become too heavy for the aging structure, and it was decided to replace the bridge with a new steel structure. The new bridge would consist of three separate structures, with the east bridge carrying two tracks, the center structure carrying one track and the west structure carrying three tracks. The entire west structure was removed in the late 1950s or early 1960s; followed by the east structure in the 1970s, leaving only the center structure. Currently, the bridge consists of two 32-foot single track steel stringer spans, set onto stone abutments and a steel bent pier. In addition, the bridge is constructed at a heavy 20-degree right skew and is set onto a sweeping curve. The superstructure follows an unusual design, with eight shallow beams arranged in a 2-4-2 pattern. The abutments consist of large stone walls, which were clearly extended with a different stone. The bent consists of two V-laced columns set onto concrete pedestals, connected by a double steel beam at the top and L-shaped lateral bracing. Stone for the abutments consists of two distinct stones, including a grey sandstone and a yellow limestone, both quarried at unknown locations. An unknown contractor fabricated the steel, while unknown contractors constructed the abutments. It is believed that the concrete pedestals were constructed by St. Paul Division labor, which was employed by the railroad. Steel stringer spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, except for the removal of parallel structures. Today, the bridge retains rails, although it is no longer connected to any active tracks. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.