BNSF Spring Creek Bridge (Genoa)

Name	BNSF Spring Creek Bridge (Genoa) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #283.03
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Length	105 Feet Total, 15 Foot Spans
Width	2 Tracks
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Concrete Slab
Substructure Design	Concrete Pile
Date Built	1912
Traffic Count	25 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	283.03
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	283.03
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	12/19/2016

In 1868, the Ogle and Carroll County Railroad (O&CC) began construction on 16 miles of new railroad, extending from Rochelle to Oregon, Illinois. In early 1869, the Chicago and Iowa Railroad Company (C&I) began construction on a 45-mile section of new railroad to connect Aurora, Illinois with the line at Rochelle. The O&CC merged into the C&I in 1871. The Aurora to Rochelle segment would be completed in 1871, and the portion to Oregon completed in 1873. At Aurora, the railroad connected to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad mainline. The CB&Q had begun to construct and acquire a large network of railroads through the Midwest. Because the CB&Q was affiliated with the railroads owned by James J. Hill in Minnesota, a connection between the two systems was desired. Between 1883 and 1886, the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad (CB&N) constructed 330 miles of new railroad, extending from Oregon, Illinois to Savanna, Illinois; then north along the Mississippi River through La Crosse, Wisconsin; to St. Paul, Minnesota. The CB&N and C&I would both be sold to the CB&Q in 1899. By the early 20th Century, traffic had significantly increased on the northern portion of the line. Double tracking projects were begun in 1910, with the entirety of the Savanna to La Crosse line double tracked by 1916. North of La Crosse, short sections were double tracked in the 1910s, but the majority was constructed between 1927 and 1929. This route served as a principal mainline for the CB&Q, providing a connection to the transcontinental lines of the Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway. In 1970, the CB&Q was merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Aurora Subdivision between Aurora and La Crosse, and the St. Croix Subdivision between La Crosse and St. Paul. The line continues to serve as a critical mainline for BNSF, and makes up a portion of the northern BNSF transcontinental route.

Located along Wisconsin Highway 35 north of Genoa, this standard concrete pile trestle bridge carries the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad over Spring Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was first built. In the early 20th Century, the CB&Q invested significant capital into this line, double tracking the entire route between Savanna and St. Paul. The section between Genoa and Stoddard was double tracked in 1912, and the present bridge constructed at that time. Currently, the bridge consists of seven 15-foot concrete slab spans, set onto concrete pile substructures. The only major alteration to the bridge came in approximately 1950, when additional caps were added to the substructures to raise the bridge approximately 2 feet. This bridge uses a somewhat unusual design, with the center piers using two rows of concrete piles, compared to a single row for the remaining substructures. Concrete slab bridges such as this were popular with the CB&Q, as the slabs and concrete substructures could be cast offsite and quickly installed by railroad company forces. Other minor repairs have been made to the bridge, including the addition of shotcrete to three of the spans. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to poor condition, with significant cracking and spalling throughout the structure. BNSF has worked to replace deteriorated concrete structures in recent years, and it is likely that this bridge will be replaced in the coming years. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Build date	Based on double tracking of line
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF Spring Creek Bridge (Genoa)

Genoa, Vernon County, Wisconsin