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| Name | MILW S. Fork Long Creek Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge #I-1072 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Private Owner |
| Builder | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company Forces |
| Length | 30 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track (128 Feet) |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Concrete Arch |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1907 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | I-1072 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 1/27/2018 |
In 1882, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee
Road) began construction on a new railroad line, extending from Cedar
Rapids, Iowa to Ottumwa, Iowa. The 40-mile line would be completed in
1884. By 1885, work was authorized to begin towards Kansas City,
Missouri; a critical railroad hub in the Midwest. The extension opened
in 1887, giving the Milwaukee Road a direct route between Chicago and
Kansas City. The Milwaukee Road acquired and constructed a large amount
of track throughout the Midwest during the 1870s and 1880s. At the
Cedar Rapids suburb of Marion, the route connected to the Milwaukee Road
mainline across Iowa. By the early 1900s, a direct connection to the
Mississippi River town of Davenport was desired, and in 1901, the
Rutledge Cutoff was completed. The cutoff extended from Rutledge, Iowa
to Muscatine, Iowa, and allowed for a quicker way to access the
Milwaukee Road facilities at Davenport, as well as shortened the travel
time and distance from Chicago to Kansas City. Between Davenport and
Muscatine, the railroad jointly owned a line with the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island).
The Milwaukee Road operated this route as a principal mainline, and the line served as a primary connection between the two largest railroad hubs in the United States. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Significant upgrades were made to the line in the 1930s and 1940s, although the line remained single tracked. In 1930-1931, the Milwaukee Road and Rock Island reconstructed their lines from Polo, Missouri to Kansas City, abandoning much of the original line. A new bridge into Kansas City was completed in 1945, further improving operations. In 1980, the Rock Island went bankrupt, and the Milwaukee Road purchased the Davenport to Washington, Iowa line; abandoning their own line between Washington and Muscatine. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986. In 1997, CP sold this line to I&M Rail Link, which later sold it to Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E), a subsidiary of Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E). In 2008, DM&E and IC&E were purchased by CP. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC, the current owner of this route. The CPKC operates the Ottumwa Subdivision between Davenport and Ottumwa, the Laredo Subdivision between Ottumwa and Laredo, Missouri; as well as the Kansas City Subdivision between Laredo and Kansas City. The route between Polo and Kansas City is shared with Union Pacific Railroad, which eventually acquired the former Rock Island line. This route now forms the principal mainline of the CPKC system, and traffic is expected to increase significantly over the coming years.
Located east of Washington, this large concrete arch bridge carries a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) mainline over South Fork Long Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle bridge, constructed when the line was first built. During the early years of the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road made significant upgrades to this line, replacing timber bridges with concrete and steel structures. In addition, the Milwaukee Road was beginning to design and construct large concrete arch structures during this era, which were thought to be more durable and cost effective than steel bridges. The present bridge was completed in 1907 as part of a project to replace both the North and South Fork Long Creek bridges. Currently, the bridge consists of a 30-foot concrete arch, set onto concrete substructures and constructed for a single track at a width of 128 feet. The superstructure follows a standard design, with a semicircular arch ring that was constructed separately from the headwalls and becomes wider near the base. The headwalls on both faces are relatively short, and the tracks were supported by a large fill. The substructure uses a standard design, with sloped wing walls which extend diagonally from the bridge. Typical of concrete bridges from this era, the bridge was constructed by labor employed by the Milwaukee Road Bridge & Building Department. Concrete arch spans became popular for railroad use in the early 20th Century, as they were cost effective, durable and easy to construct. During the early 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road used company labor almost exclusively to construct concrete bridges and culverts, as the company found this arrangement to be more cost effective than constructing masonry by contract. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations. After the railroad was abandoned, the bridge reverted to private ownership, and now appears to be occasionally used as a field access. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some spalling and cracking noted throughout the structure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | Milwaukee Road Drawing Collection, located at the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |