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| Name | CN Bridge #430.0 Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #WA430.0 |
| Built By | Illinois Central Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian National Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Works of Chicago |
| Substructure Contractor | Gould Construction Company of Davenport, Iowa |
| Length | 91 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 5 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1899, Abutments Constructed 1907 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Illinois Central Railroad Bridge Number | WA430.0 |
| Canadian National Railway Bridge Number | 430.0 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 12/30/2018 |
Between 1857 and 1870, the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad (D&SC) had acquired and constructed a mainline across central Iowa, extending from the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa to the Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa. The D&SC had operated under lease from the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) since 1867, and connected to the IC system by using a bridge across the Mississippi River at Dubuque. This line provided several opportunities for the construction of branch lines. By the late 19th Century, the IC desired to enter the Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska markets. In 1890, the Omaha Bridge & Terminal Railway (OB&T) began construction on a line extending between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. A new bridge was constructed across the Missouri River between 1893 and 1894, with the goal of breaking the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) monopoly of traffic crossing the Missouri River at Omaha. Between September 1898 and January 1900, the Fort Dodge and Omaha Railroad (FD&O) constructed a 131-mile railroad line, extending from the existing D&SC mainline at Tara, Iowa to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The FD&O and OB&T were both leased by the D&SC/IC in 1899.
By the late 19th Century, the IC had developed and operated a sprawling railroad network in the central United States. This line served as a secondary mainline for the company, connecting Chicago to the Missouri River at Omaha. In the 20th Century, the IC had become a respected railroad, connecting several major cities in the central United States. The D&SC was fully merged into the IC in 1946. In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). The bridge across the Missouri River was placed out of service in approximately 1980, although the tracks remain today. The entire IC system in Iowa, as well as the line between Dubuque and Chicago, were sold to the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad (CC&P) in 1995. In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). In 1996, the CC&P was repurchased by IC and in 1998, IC was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN). Today, CN operates the Omaha Subdivision between Tara and Council Bluffs.
Located alongside Jackson Avenue southwest of Wall Lake and Carnarvon, this through plate girder bridge carries a former Illinois Central Railroad line over an unnamed creek. Initially, the bridge consisted of a through plate girder span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. Oftentimes, railroads used temporary timber approaches and substructures for steel spans to allow approach embankments to settle without damaging permanent structures. In 1907, the bridge was rebuilt with concrete abutments, giving the structure its present configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of a 91-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The superstructure follows a standard design, with heavy girders, square girder ends and a standard floor. The abutments also use a standard design, with U-shaped abutments. American Bridge Works fabricated the superstructure, while it is believed that Gould Construction Company constructed the abutments. Through plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the 1907 reconstruction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, and remains in use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date and builder (superstructure) | Illinois Central Railroad Valuation Engineering Field Notes at the National Archives |
| Builder (substructure) | Engineering News; June 21, 1906 Supplement |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |