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| Name | UP Wahoo Creek Bridge #1 Union Pacific Railroad Bridge #27.98 |
| Built By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York (Main Span) Paxton-Vierling Steel Company of Omaha, Nebraska (Approach Spans) |
| Length | 110 Feet Total, 50 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete Pile |
| Date Built | 1908, Approaches Constructed 1952 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 27.98 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/7/2019 |
Between 1876 and 1877, the Omaha and Republican Valley Railroad (O&RV) constructed a new railroad line between Fremont and Valparaiso, Nebraska. The line would be extended to Lincoln in 1880, and to Beatrice in 1884. The railroad was reorganized as the Omaha and Republican Valley Railway in 1887, which was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) between 1893 and 1898. UP had constructed and acquired a large amount of lines throughout the western United States, and was best known for completing the First Transcontinental Railroad. This route served as a secondary line for the UP, connecting several branch lines throughout southern Nebraska and Kansas. The route continued to be operated by Union Pacific until 2001, when the segment south of Lincoln was abandoned. This segment has since been turned into the Jamaica North Trail and the Homestead Trail. Union Pacific operates the remaining segment between Lincoln and Fremont as the Lincoln Subdivision.
Located near County Road 25 between Weston and Valparaiso, this deck plate girder bridge is the first crossing of Wahoo Creek along this line. The previous bridge at this location was likely a timber trestle. In 1908, a 50-foot deck plate girder span would be constructed, and set onto timber pile piers with timber pile trestle approaches. The deck girder span would be fabricated by the American Bridge Company, which fabricated nearly all Union Pacific bridges after 1900. In 1952, the bridge was extensively reconstructed. A 30-foot steel stringer span, fabricated by the Paxton-Vierling Steel company would be added to each end to replace the trestle spans. In addition, new concrete pile piers and abutments would be constructed for the bridge. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it provided a durable and easy to construct bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The bridge is painted the signature Union Pacific green. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date (main span) | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Builder and build date (approach spans) | Paxton-Vierling Steel Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |