UP Watonwan River Bridge

Madelia, Watonwan County, Minnesota

Default pic
Looking north
Looking north
North abutment
Old pier
Pier
Plaque
North span
Obscured south span
North abutment
Overview
Under bridge
Looking north
Looking north
Looking north

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Default Pic
Looking north
Looking north
North abutment
Old pier
Pier
Plaque
North span
Obscured south span
North abutment
Overview
Under bridge
Looking north
Looking north
Looking north
1/15
Date Taken:
Author:
Caption:
Name UP Watonwan River Bridge
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #519
Built By Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Substructure Contractor Unknown
Length 160 Feet Total, 80 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design Concrete
Date Built 1923
Traffic Count 5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number 519
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number 110.78
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 6/9/2017
In 1865, the Minnesota Valley Railway Company began construction on a new railroad line between Mendota, Minnesota and St. James, Minnesota. The first 22 miles would be completed between Mendota and Merriam Junction in 1865, followed by 17 more miles to Belle Plaine in 1866, 16 additional miles to Le Sueur in 1867, 12 additional miles to Kasota in 1868, and 22 additional miles to Lake Crystal, Minnesota in 1869. Also in 1869, the Minnesota Valley would complete 5 additional miles from Mendota to St. Paul. In 1870, the Minnesota Valley would be purchased by the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad (StP&SC). 22 additional miles to St. James would be completed in 1870. The StP&SC completed 58 more miles from St. James to Worthington, Minnesota in 1871; and 64 additional miles to Le Mars, Iowa were completed in 1872. At Le Mars, the route connected to an existing railroad, over which the StP&SC used trackage rights to reach Sioux City.
In 1881, the StP&SC would be sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (CStPM&O), also known as the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would come under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) the next year. This route became the main line of the Western District of the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would formally be merged into the C&NW in 1959. The C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific in 1995, which still operates the St. James to Le Mars segment as the Worthington Subdivision. The line continues to carry steady traffic.

Located west of Madelia, this deck plate girder bridge crosses the Watonwan River. The previous bridge here consisted of a 125-foot quadrangular lattice through truss, approached by timber pile trestle spans. By 1923, the bridge had become too light for traffic, and would be replaced with a pair of 80-foot deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with some minor defects noted throughout the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

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