BNSF Dahlman Avenue Bridge (North)


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Name BNSF Dahlman Avenue Bridge (North)
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #19.48
Built By Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor Shiffler Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Presumed)
Length 369 Feet Total, 87 Foot Largest Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Through Plate Girder and Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design Stone Masonry and Concrete
Date Built 1893
Traffic Count 10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number 19.48
BNSF Railway Bridge Number 19.48
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date 9/10/2016

In 1869, the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska (BMRN) would continue constructing westwards from Pacific Junction, reaching milepost 12.  The following year, a 17 mile extension from Oreapolis, Nebraska north to Omaha would be made, and an additional 48 miles to Lincoln would be constructed from milepost 12.  A permanent bridge across the Missouri River at Plattsmouth would be completed in 1880.  Since 1880, the BMRN had been controlled by stock by the same interests that controlled the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q).  The CB&Q and associated ownership came in control or constructed a large number of lines throughout Iowa and Nebraska.  This route would serve as a piece of the planned Chicago to Denver mainline, which reached Denver in 1883.  In 1885, the Omaha and South Western Railway constructed 4 miles of new railroad from Omaha, to South Omaha.  In 1886, the Omaha and North Platte Railroad (O&NP) completed an additional 30 miles of railroad, extending from Omaha to Ashland, where it met the main line.  The 4 miles constructed in 1885 were sold to the O&NP in 1887, and the O&NP sold to the BMRN in 1887.  The BMRN was formally sold to the CB&Q in 1908, and CB&Q continued to operate these routes as parallel mainline, and a second track was added from Lincoln to Waverly in 1910, and Waverly to Ashland in 1918.  CB&Q merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN).  BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996  to form BNSF Railway.  BNSF continues to operate the Oreapolis-Omaha-Ashland line as the Omaha Subdivision, and the Pacific Junction to Lincoln segment as the Creston Subdivision.


Located south of Interstate 80 in Omaha, this large girder bridge crosses Dahlman Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad. The bridge was initially built in 1893 to cross Dahlman Avenue, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Missouri Pacific Railroad. The bridge consists of a 76-foot through plate girder span, approached by two 48-foot, one 50-foot, one 60-foot and one 87-foot deck plate girder spans. The entire bridge is set onto stone piers and east abutment, steel bents and a concrete west abutment. The stonework of the abutment and piers appears to be a dark stone, likely quarried nearby. A missing plaque on the bridge matches the approximate size and shape of a Shiffler Bridge Company plaque. Shiffler built a number of girder and truss bridges for the CB&Q during the 1890s, likely indicating the builder of this bridge. The girder designs present in this bridge were commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as they were durable and easy to construct. A timber pile pier has been added to support the westernmost span, and other repairs have been made to the bridge. The through girder span follows a typical CB&Q design, including deep tapers on the edges. 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 presumed builder.


Citations

Build Date Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Valuation Summary at the Newberry Library
Builder Presumed based on missing plaque
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

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