Fulton Railroad Crossing

Located east of Fulton, this through girder bridge carries the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad across the former Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW), now Union Pacific Railroad. Initially constructed in 1904, the bridge originally consisted of a 66-foot through plate girder span, approached by a 35-foot deck plate girder span and timber pile trestle spans. The entire bridge was set onto timber pile substructures. Railroads often used timber spans and substructures to minimize impacts of settlement of approach embankments. In addition, the C&NW was planning to realign their tracks for a new Mississippi River bridge, and the junction of the new alignment was proposed to be near this bridge. By using timber piles, it would minimize possible expenses in shifting the bridge to better suit the future alignment. Prior to 1968, the deck plate girder span was removed and replaced with additional timber pile trestle. In approximately 1990, the bridge was reconstructed, and all timber components of the bridge were replaced with steel and concrete.

Currently, the bridge consists of a 66-foot through plate girder span, approached by modular concrete girder spans. All substructures of the bridge now consist of steel pile bents, typical for 1980s and newer construction. The through girder span utilizes a variation of the standard CB&Q design, with long tapered ends. The floor of the main span is somewhat unusual, as the stringers are composed of two lines of three I-beams each. The main span of the bridge was fabricated by King Bridge Company, and dates to the original 1904 construction. Through girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. In addition to the replacement of the approaches and timber piers, the main span of the bridge has been strengthened by replacing some stringers and the lower lateral bracing. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.