BNSF Pomme de Terre River Bridge (Morris)

Morris, Stevens County, Minnesota

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Name	BNSF Pomme de Terre River Bridge (Morris) Great Northern Railway Bridge #154.4
Built By	Great Northern Railway
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York

Length	233 Feet, 80 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	42 Feet
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1953
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	Open to Traffic
Great Northern Railway Bridge Number	154.4
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	155.15
Significance	Minimal Significance
Documentation Date	10/20/2011; 11/21/2017

In 1888, the Moorhead and South Eastern Railway Company constructed a 43 mile new railroad between Whapeton, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. The railroad would be purchased by the The Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company (StPM&M) in 1891. The StPM&M was controlled by James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon. Hill's railroads built an extensive railroad network from Minnesota to the Pacific Coast at Seattle. In 1907, the StPM&M would be purchased by another Hill owned railroad, the Great Northern Railway (GN). GN operated this route as a secondary mainline, providing an important link between Moorhead and other lines in western Minnesota. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad, and BN in turn merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF. BNSF currently operates this route as the Moorhead Subdivision.

Located just east of Morris alongside Minnesota Highway 9, this large deck plate girder bridge crosses the Pomme de Terre River. Built in 1953 to replace an older steel viaduct, the bridge features three deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The substructures from the previous bridge were left intact under the new bridge. This style of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was easy to construct and durable. During this era, GN was replacing numerous bridges with heavier spans. It is unknown if the old spans at this location were reused elsewhere. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no serious deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the common design and newer age.

Builder and build date	American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele