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| Name | Bobolink Road Overpass Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #C-108 1/2 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian Pacific Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 155 Feet Total, 50 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 20 Feet |
| Height Above Ground | 25 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1970, Using a Span Fabricated c. 1900 |
| Date Replaced | 2021 |
| Original Location | Unknown |
| Traffic Count | 0 Vehicles/Day (Bridge Has Been Replaced) |
| Current Status | Replaced By a New Bridge |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | C-108 1/2 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 12/9/2020 |
In 1850, the Milwaukee & Mississippi Rail Road (M&M) began construction on a new railroad line, with the intention of connecting Lake Michigan at Milwaukee with the Mississippi River. The first 12 miles between Milwaukee and Brookfield opened in 1851, and the line eventually continued west. In Milwaukee, this line followed the south side of the Menomonee River. In 1854, the Milwaukee and Watertown Railroad (M&W) began construction on a new line, leaving the original line at Brookfield, Wisconsin. 32 miles of new railroad were completed to Watertown, Wisconsin by 1855. The M&W was acquired by the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad (LC&M) in 1856. This railroad had previously constructed a more northerly route between Milwaukee and Portage, Wisconsin. Between 1857 and 1858, the LC&M constructed 103 miles of new railroad, extending from Portage to the Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wisconsin. The M&M was acquired by the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien Railway (M&PdC) in 1861. The western division of the LC&M, extending from Portage to La Crosse, was sold to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (M&StP) in 1863. In 1864, the M&StP constructed an additional 47 miles of railroad between Watertown and Portage, connecting the two lines. In addition, a 7-mile "airline" would be constructed between Elm Grove and Milwaukee in 1864, allowing for a more direct route into Milwaukee. In 1867, the M&PdC would be sold to the M&StP. In 1874, the M&StP changed its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road).
The Milwaukee to La Crosse line became a critical backbone for the Milwaukee Road, serving as the middle section of a longer line between Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul. This line also allowed for the construction of numerous branch lines, as well as the rapid expansion of the Milwaukee Road in the Midwest. Between 1874 and 1876, a bridge across the Mississippi River was constructed at La Crosse. A second track was constructed between Milwaukee and Brookfield during the early 1880s. In 1902, 90 additional miles of second track would be constructed between Brookfield and Watertown, between Portage and Camp Douglas and between West Salem and La Crosse. An additional 47 miles of double track were constructed between Watertown and Portage in 1906, followed by an additional 44 miles of double track between Camp Douglas and West Salem in 1910. The same year, the "airline" was also double tracked. During the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad in the United States, operating an extensive network of railroad lines primarily in the Midwest.
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. Despite the financial troubles of the railroad, this line remained a critical line and was well maintained. Financial hardship continued through the 20th Century for the Milwaukee Road, and the railroad again filed bankruptcy in 1977. 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. Upgrades were made to the route, including the installation of CTC. As a result, sections of the second track were removed, and the remaining sections became sidings. The Elm Grove to Milwaukee airline was abandoned in the 1990s, and has since become the Hank Aaron Trail. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. CPKC currently operates the Milwaukee to Portage segment as the Portage Subdivision, and the Watertown to La Crosse segment as the Tomah Subdivision. The route remains well used, and hosts both freight and Amtrak trains.
Located near Reeseville, this through plate girder bridge once carried Bobolink Road over the Canadian Pacific Railway (former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad) mainline. The previous bridge at this location was constructed in 1915, and consisted of a 45-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete bents and approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. This span was reused from an unknown location, and was fabricated at an unknown time by an unknown contractor. On August 20, 1969; a load shifted causing a train to derail and resulting in the complete destruction of the center portion of the bridge and adjacent approaches. As a result, a new bridge was approved in late 1969; and was constructed in 1970. The new bridge used a 50-foot through plate girder span, which had been fabricated in approximately 1900 and relocated from an unknown location. As part of the work, the approaches were reconstructed and new timber substructures constructed for the bridge. To facilitate the conversion to roadway use, the floor was partially reconstructed, with new notched floorbeams and timber stringers installed, while the original steel stringers were retained. In addition, additional high strength bolts were added at various locations to strengthen and reassemble the span. The main span appears to have used a standard Milwaukee Road design, with square girder ends and moderately heavy girders. In addition, brackets were placed longitudinally on both faces of each girder, possibly indicating previous strengthening or rebuilding.
Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective way to replace bridges without requiring large amounts of new material. Often, when a span was no longer feasible for railroad use, it could be rebuilt and reused for roadway use, which did not have the same loading requirements. In the late 1960s, the Milwaukee Road abandoned a number of lines, and there are several possible locations this span could have been reused from. It is also unknown if the span was relocated prior to its installation here. In the late 19th and early 20th Century, hundreds of overpasses were constructed throughout the United States by reusing metal railroad bridge spans. As automobiles became larger and heavier in the 20th Century, these spans became outdated often had severe geometric deficiencies. Since the mid-20th Century, a vast majority of reused railroad spans in the United States have been removed or replaced. Often, the metal portions of these bridges were still serviceable, but poor geometry, limited records and deteriorated timber components required the complete replacement of the structure. Because these bridges were typically maintained by the railroad, records are not typically publicly available. As a result, the complete history of the bridge is often unclear, and historic determinations are made using absent or incomplete information. The bridge was closed in the mid-2000s, but repairs were made to reopen the bridge. The bridge was again closed in 2020 after failing an inspection, and was ultimately replaced in 2021. Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair to poor condition at the time of replacement, with several areas of advanced timber deterioration. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design and unknown history.
Citations
| Build date | Milwaukee Road Authority for Expenditure; Located at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |