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| Name | CN Bridge #494.5 Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #WA494.5 |
| Built By | Illinois Central Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian National Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 86 Feet Total, 20 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | c. 1975 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Illinois Central Railroad Bridge Number | WA494.5 |
| Canadian National Railway Bridge Number | 494.5 |
| Significance | Minimal Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/16/2015 |
Between 1857 and 1870, the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad (D&SC) had acquired and constructed a mainline across central Iowa, extending from the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa to the Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa. The D&SC had operated under lease from the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) since 1867, and connected to the IC system by using a bridge across the Mississippi River at Dubuque. This line provided several opportunities for the construction of branch lines. By the late 19th Century, the IC desired to enter the Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska markets. In 1890, the Omaha Bridge & Terminal Railway (OB&T) began construction on a line extending between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. A new bridge was constructed across the Missouri River between 1893 and 1894, with the goal of breaking the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) monopoly of traffic crossing the Missouri River at Omaha. Between September 1898 and January 1900, the Fort Dodge and Omaha Railroad (FD&O) constructed a 131-mile railroad line, extending from the existing D&SC mainline at Tara, Iowa to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The FD&O and OB&T were both leased by the D&SC/IC in 1899.
By the late 19th Century, the IC had developed and operated a sprawling railroad network in the central United States. This line served as a secondary mainline for the company, connecting Chicago to the Missouri River at Omaha. In the 20th Century, the IC had become a respected railroad, connecting several major cities in the central United States. The D&SC was fully merged into the IC in 1946. In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). The bridge across the Missouri River was placed out of service in approximately 1980, although the tracks remain today. The entire IC system in Iowa, as well as the line between Dubuque and Chicago, were sold to the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad (CC&P) in 1995. In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). In 1996, the CC&P was repurchased by IC and in 1998, IC was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN). Today, CN operates the Omaha Subdivision between Tara and Council Bluffs.
Located alongside Old Lincoln Highway north of Loveland, this steel stringer bridge carries a former Illinois Central Railroad mainline over a farm field entrance. The first bridge at this location consisted of a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was first built to cross an overflow of the Boyer River. The bridge was renewed in 1911 with a ballast deck timber pile trestle bridge. The Boyer River was channelized in approximately 1920, rerouting the river to the west of the Boyer River bridge. After the river was rerouted, the space underneath the bridge was filled and reused as access to a farm field. In approximately 1975, the bridge was again renewed with a steel center span, giving the bridge its present configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of a 20-foot steel stringer span, approached by three timber pile trestle spans on the north end and two spans on the south end. The entire bridge is set onto timber pile substructures. The superstructure follows a standard design, with the main span using five shallow beams and a ballast deck. The approaches also follow a standard IC design, and consist of ballast deck timber pile trestle spans. An unknown contractor fabricated the main span, while railroad company forces built the timber components. This design of bridge was one of the most commonly used by railroads throughout the United State, as it was durable and cost effective. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, and remains in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the modern construction date.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |