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| Name | La Crosse River State Trail - La Crosse River Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #655 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 131 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 5 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1913 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 655 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 11/13/2020 |
In 1860, the Beloit and Madison Railroad (B&M) constructed 17 miles of railroad, extending from Beloit, Wisconsin to Magnolia, Wisconsin. In 1864, the B&M constructed an additional 32 miles of railroad, extending from Magnolia to Madison, Wisconsin. In 1864, the Madison, Lodi and Baraboo Railroad (ML&B) began grading for a new railroad line, extending from Baraboo, Wisconsin to Merrimac, Wisconsin. The ML&B was acquired by the Baraboo Air Line Railroad (BAL) in 1870, and began construction on a line extending from Reedsburg, Wisconsin to Madison. In 1870, the La Crosse, Trempealeau and Prescott Railroad (LCT&P) constructed an additional 29 miles of railroad, extending from the Winona & St. Peter Railroad (W&StP) at Winona, Minnesota to the north side of La Crosse, Wisconsin; constructing a large bridge across the Mississippi River. The BA&L and the B&M were acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1871. The C&NW continued construction, eventually opening a 129 mile line between Madison and present-day Medary on the north side of La Crosse in 1873. This line was difficult to construct, as it crossed through areas of rugged terrain, requiring three tunnels and numerous wooden trestles. The LCT&P was purchased by the C&NW in 1876.
Soon after completion, this line became an important route for the C&NW. The line connected an existing mainline to Chicago with the existing W&StP mainline across southern Minnesota. In addition, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road, a C&NW subsidiary) mainline ended at this line in Elroy, Wisconsin, providing the C&NW with a connection to the Twin Cities. Numerous improvements were made in the late 1870s and throughout the 1880s, including filling wooden trestles and replacing wooden bridges with iron and stone. The C&NW constructed a short 4-mile branch line from Medary to La Crosse in 1886. By the late 19th Century, traffic over this route had grown to the point that a second track was necessary. Between 1896 and 1899, the C&NW completed a second track between Evansville, Wisconsin and Elroy. By the early 20th Century, the C&NW was operating an expansive railroad network throughout the Midwest, radiating north and west from Chicago. This line initially served as one of the principal mainlines of the railroad, connecting Chicago to the Twin Cities and the mainline to South Dakota.
Between 1910 and 1912, the C&NW undertook a large construction program to construct shorter routes and streamline operations. A cutoff between Milwaukee and Sparta opened in 1911, reducing the importance of this line. Between 1953 and 1956, much of the double track would be removed. A portion of the line was abandoned between Elroy and Sparta in 1964, and became one of the United States first rail-trail projects. In 1978, the Sparta to Medary and Winona to Trempeleau, Wisconsin segments would be abandoned, followed by the Beloit to Evansville segment in 1979 and the Medary to Trempeleau and La Crosse segments in 1981. The Reedsburg to Elroy segment was abandoned in 1987. All of the line west of Reedsburg would be acquired by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for trail use.
In 1995, the C&NW would be purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). In 1996, UP leased the Fitchburg to Reedsburg segment to the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR). In addition, UP attempted to abandon the Evansville to Fitchburg segment the same year. In response to possibly losing railroad service, the communities of Fitchburg and Oregon purchased the line, although it was out of service. In 2014, the State of Wisconsin acquired the Fitchburg to Reedsburg line, and contionued to lease it to WSOR. The same year, WSOR began operations over the Oregon to Fitchburg line, while the Evansville to Oregon segment remains out of service. Today, WSOR operates the Reedsburg Subdivision between Madison and Reedsburg. The 400 State Trail uses the former railroad between Reedsburg and Elroy; the Elroy-Sparta State Trail uses the former railroad between Elroy and Sparta; the La Crosse River State Trail uses the former railroad between Sparta and La Crosse; and the Great River State Trail uses the former line between Medary and Marshland.
Located near Medary, this large through truss bridge carries the former Chicago & North Western Railway mainline over the La Crosse River. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was first built. It is unknown if the bridge was reconstructed with a wooden truss in the 1870s or 1880s. During the early 20th Century, the C&NW invested significant capital into this line, replacing older timber bridges with permanent steel and concrete structures. In 1913, the present truss bridge was constructed to replace the old bridge. Currently, the bridge consists of a 131-foot riveted quadrangular lattice through truss span, set onto concrete abutments. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, while unknown contractors constructed the abutments.
The truss span uses a similar design to other lattice trusses constructed for the C&NW during this era, with heavy built-up members, riveted connections and a standard floor. The endposts are constructed using large built-up beams. The top chord is constructed of steel channels, connected by an X-lacing on the bottom and a plate on the top. Similarly, the bottom chord is constructed of steel channels connected by V-lacing. Unique to this bridge, the diagonal members use four different designs. The outer members consist of solid rolled beams and solid bars which are not connected. Conversely, the inner members consist of a combination of large V-laced beams and smaller beams, which also use V-lacing which is spaced much closer. Typical of lattice truss spans constructed for the C&NW, the connections are heavily built, using large gusset plates. The floor is composed of heavy floorbeams, and the bridge uses two stringers, which are constructed of plate girders. The upper lateral bracing is composed of V-laced built-up beams, while the lower lateral bracing is composed of solid bars. Also typical of lattice truss spans constructed for the C&NW, the portal bracing uses an A-frame design, constructed of a combination of V-laced built-up beams. The abutments also use a standard design, with wing walls extending perpendicular to the track.
This type of truss design is relatively uncommon throughout the United States. However, a few railroads preferred the design, such as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway (Rock Island), the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) and the Omaha Road. Spans constructed in the late 1870s and early 1880s for the C&NW featured an arched and pedimented lattice portal bracing, light sway bracing and laced members. The second generation was nearly exclusively constructed by Lassig Bridge & Iron Works between 1884 and 1900, and featured heavier members and a pedimented portal bracing. While the design fell out of favor for the Rock Island and Omaha Road around the turn of the 20th Century, the design remained popular with the C&NW into the 1920s. 19th Century versions of this design were primarily constructed out of iron, while 20th Century versions of this design used much heavier members and were constructed of steel. The C&NW preferred this design, as it was both strong and demonstrated great resilience in case of a derailment. Currently, the bridge carries the La Crosse River State Trail, and a wooden deck and handrails have been added to the structure. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.