Hurley Railroad Crossing

Located west of Hurley, this unique through truss bridge carries the former Soo Line Bessemer Branch over the former Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). The first bridge at this location likely consisted of a timber bridge, constructed when the line was first built. During the 1890s, the Wisconsin Central Railway invested significant capital into this line, replacing aging wooden bridges with stronger steel structures. The present bridge at this location was constructed during the winter of 1898-1899. Currently, the bridge consists of a 150-foot, 4-panel, riveted Baltimore through truss span, set onto concrete abutments. Despite the two railroads crossing at an acute angle, the bridge is not skewed. A similar truss span allows for the crossing of the same two railroad lines west of Bessemer, Michigan. It is believed that Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the superstructure, as this company constructed all other steel bridges along this line. It is unknown if the substructures were constructed by an unknown contractor or by railroad company forces. The abutments use a variation of a standard design, with a long stepped wing wall placed parallel to the former C&NW.

Throughout the late 19th Century, most truss spans consisted of pin-connected Pratt spans. In the 1890s, railroads and fabricators began innovating different truss designs, seeking to maximize strength and economy. Riveted truss spans had existed since at least the 1870s, but had not been widely popular, due to the difficult nature of constructing them. By the mid 1890s, various riveted truss spans began to appear on several railroads throughout the United States. Baltimore truss spans were also developed in the 1890s as a stronger alternative to Pratt spans. The span at this location uses a short version of the Baltimore design, which combines design features of a Warren truss. With this design, the additional diagonals connect the mid-panel point with the bottom chord to provide greater compressive strength. The truss is heavily constructed, with built-up members and a standard floor. The endposts, bottom chord and top chord all use built-up beams, consisting of channels connected by V-lacing. Vertical members and diagonal members are also comprised of built-up beams, both using heavy V-lacing. The portal bracing and sway bracing use a typical lattice design, often used on Wisconsin Central bridges. The top and bottom lateral bracing both use plates, which are riveted the top and bottom chords. The floor uses a typical design, with plate girder floorbeams and two stringers comprised of plate girders. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen few alterations. Currently, the bridge is abandoned, but occasionally used by ATVs and snowmobiles. The former C&NW underneath is now part of Trail 2, an ATV/UTV/snowmobile corridor. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual design and age.