DAIR Westfield Creek Bridge

Located alongside Iowa Highway 12 north of Westfield, this large through plate girder bridge carries a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) line over Westfield Creek. The first bridge at this location was a timber pile trestle bridge, which had been periodically renewed since it was first constructed. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Milwaukee Road made improvements to this line, replacing deteriorated timber bridges with steel spans. In 1930, a new through plate girder span was installed on timber pile piers, and new approach spans constructed. Currently, the bridge consists of a single 85-foot type "C3" through plate girder span, approached by a 16-foot timber pile trestle span on the south end and two 16-foot timber pile trestle spans on the north end. The entire bridge is set onto timber pile substructures. The superstructure follows a standard design for a "C3" girder, with two heavy plate girders, a standard floor and rounded girder ends. A "C3" girder differs from a "C4" girder in the construction of the floor. While a "C4" girder uses two stringers placed directly under the rail, a "C3" girder uses four lighter stringers spread throughout the floor. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, while railroad company forces constructed the timber components of the bridge. The approach spans were renewed in 1959, and it is unknown if they have been upgraded since. Through plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with only minor splitting in the timber components. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.