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| Name | BNSF Bad Axe River Bridge Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #286.98 |
| Built By | Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Length | 533 Feet |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Modular Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Steel Pile |
| Date Built | 1913, Approaches Replaced 2017 |
| Traffic Count | 25 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number | 286.98 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 286.98 |
| 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 south of Genoa, this bridge carries the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad mainline across the Bad Axe River. 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 Victory and Genoa was double tracked in 1913, and a new steel and concrete bridge constructed at that time. The only major alteration to the bridge came in 2017, when the original concrete slab approaches (pictured above) were replaced by new slab spans, set onto new substructures, giving the bridge its present configuration. Originally, the bridge consisted of three 60-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by 23 total spans of concrete slab varying between 14 and 20 feet. The south approach consisted of six spans, while the north approach consisted of the remaining 17 spans. The entire bridge was set onto a combination of concrete and concrete pile substructures. Currently, the deck plate girders remain, but the approaches were replaced with an unknown number of modular concrete girder spans, set onto new steel pile substructures. The deck girder spans use a standard design, with heavy girders and a ballast deck. American Bridge Company fabricated the steel spans, while the original concrete spans and substructures were constructed by railroad company forces. Deck plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Concrete slab spans were popular with the CB&Q, as the slabs and concrete piles could be constructed offsite and quickly installed. Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair overall condition at the time of documentation, with the approaches exhibiting extreme deterioration, such as cracking, spalling and shifting. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | Double tracking of line |
| Builder | Missing American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |