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| Name | BNSF Bluff Creek Bridge Northern Pacific Railway Bridge #170.1 |
| Built By | Northern Pacific Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway (Final Owner) |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 60 Feet Total |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1899 and 1906 |
| 2012 | |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced) |
| Current Status | Replaced by a new bridge |
| Northern Pacific Railway Bridge Number | 170.1 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 170.6 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/23/2011 |
In 1871, the Northern Pacific Railroad (NP) continued building west from Staples, Minnesota; reaching Moorhead by the end of the year. The line extended to Duluth on the east. The line would be extended west to Bismarck, North Dakota by 1882. In 1877, the St. Paul & Northern Pacific Railway (StP&NP) would purchase and complete the partially built Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad line between Sauk Rapids and Brainerd, a distance of 61 miles. At Brainerd, the line connected to the NP line. Between 1883 and 1884, the StP&NP would complete an additional 66 miles from Northtown Junction in Minneapolis to Sauk Rapids. A 33 mile connection between Little Falls and Staples would be completed by the StP&NP in 1889. In 1896, the NP and StP&NP were sold and reorganized as the Northern Pacific Railway (NP).
NP operated the Minneapolis to Moorhead segment of this line as their mainline between the Twin Cities and the Pacific Coast. As a result, significant reconstruction was done to the original route. The route was double tracked between 1902 and 1910, including a large reconstruction of the route between Hawley and Dilworth. In 1970, NP would merge with rival Great Northern Railway and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). In 1996, BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the Northtown to Moorhead portion of this line as the Staples Subdivision, and it is one of the busiest railroad lines in Minnesota.
Located in the town of Bluffton, this small deck plate girder bridge once crossed Bluff Creek. Originally built in 1899 as a single track bridge, a second track was added in 1906 during a double tracking project. The bridge consisted of a single 60-foot deck plate girder span, set onto concrete substructures. This style of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, due to the durability and ease of construction. This bridge would be replaced by a new concrete structure in 2012. Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair to poor condition at the time of replacement. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build Date | Bridge Book at the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |