Eau Claire once had a number of railroads, including a Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) mainline, an Omaha Road branch line, a Wisconsin Central Railway (WC) branch line and a Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) branch line. Today, the Union Pacific Railroad operates the former Omaha Road lines, while the WC and Milwaukee Road lines have both been reused as trails.

Random Bridges

C&NW Forest Street Bridge (North)

Image name

C&NW Forest Street Bridge (North)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #272N)

This steel stringer and timber pile trestle bridge once carried a spur of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway over Forest Street in Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: City of Eau Claire

Status: Removed but not replaced

Built 1918

by

Unknown

for

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway

Design:
30' steel stringer and timber pile trestle

Description:
Steel stringer and timber pile trestle bridge over Forest Street

Significance:

Local

C&NW Forest Street Bridge (South)

Image name

C&NW Forest Street Bridge (South)

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #272S)

This steel stringer and timber pile trestle bridge once carried the old mainline of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway over Forest Street in Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: City of Eau Claire

Status: Removed but not replaced

Built 1918

by

Unknown

for

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway

Design:
32' steel stringer and timber pile trestle

Description:
Steel stringer and timber pile trestle bridge over Forest Street

Significance:

Local

Chippewa River State Trail - Lowes Creek Bridge

Image name

Chippewa River State Trail - Lowes Creek Bridge

(Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #M-184)

This deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad over Lowes Creek on the south side of Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Status: Open to Pedestrian Traffic

Built 1931 using a span fabricated 1893

by

Unknown and Vierling Steel Works of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway

Design:
54' deck plate girder and timber pile trestle

Description:
Deck plate girder bridge over Lowes Creek

Significance:

Local

Clairemont Avenue Railroad Bridge

Image name

Clairemont Avenue Railroad Bridge

(Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #M-188)

This large through truss bridge carries a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad branch line over the Chippewa River alongside Clairemont Avenue in Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: City of Eau Claire

Status: Open to Pedestrian Traffic

Built 1911 using spans fabricated 1886, 1887 and 188

by

Union Bridge Company of Athens, Pennsylvania and Unknown

for

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway

Design:
2-142' and 1-128' Pratt through truss, 1-135' Warren through truss, 1-19' concrete slab and timber pile trestle

Description:
Pratt and Warren through truss bridge over Chippewa River

Significance:

High

Northwestern Railroad Bridge

Image name

Northwestern Railroad Bridge

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #273S)

This historic lattice deck truss bridge carried the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway mainline across the Chippewa River in Eau Claire and is among the most significant railroad bridges in the Midwest

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: City of Eau Claire

Status: Open to Pedestrian Traffic

Built 1880 and 1898

by

Leighton Bridge and Iron Works of Rochester, New York and Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway

Design:
4-180' quintuple intersection lattice deck trusses and 2-80' deck plate girders

Description:
Quintuple intersection lattice deck truss bridge over Chippewa River

Significance:

National

Phoenix Park Railroad Bridge

Image name

Phoenix Park Railroad Bridge

(Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #M-194)

This through truss bridge carries the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad over the Chippewa River at Phoenix Park in Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: City of Eau Claire

Status: Open to Pedestrian Traffic

Built 1903 using spans fabricated 1876

by

American Bridge Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway

Design:
1-232' Whipple through truss, 1-148' and 1-146' Pratt through trusses

Description:
Whipple and Pratt through truss bridge over Chippewa River

Significance:

High

Soo Line S-Bridge

Image name

Soo Line S-Bridge

(Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Bridge #F-361A)

This unusual S-shaped Warren deck truss bridge once carries the Chippewa River State Trail (former Soo Line) across the Eau Claire River near Galloway Street in Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: City of Eau Claire

Status: Open to Pedestrian Traffic

Built 1910

by

Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota

for

Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway

Design:
3-100' Warren deck trusses and 2-70' deck plate girders

Description:
Warren deck truss bridge over Eau Claire River

Significance:

Regional

UP Chippewa River Bridge

Image name

UP Chippewa River Bridge

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #273)

This large Pratt deck truss bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway mainline over the Chippewa River on the north side of Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1912

by

American Bridge Company of New York and Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway

Design:
4-182' Pratt deck truss, 2-80', 1-44', 1-20' deck plate girders

Description:
Pratt deck truss bridge over Chippewa River

Significance:

Regional

UP Eau Claire River Bridge

Image name

UP Eau Claire River Bridge

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #267)

This large deck truss bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway mainline over the Eau Claire River on the east side of Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1898

by

Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway

Design:
2-157' double intersection Warren deck truss and 2-80' deck plate girders

Description:
Double intersection Warren deck truss bridge over Eau Claire River

Significance:

Moderate

UP Forest Street Bridge

Image name

UP Forest Street Bridge

(Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #272)

This standard deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway mainline over Forest Street on the north side of Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Owner: Union Pacific Railroad

Status: In Use

Built 1912

by

American Bridge Company of New York and Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois

for

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway

Design:
40' deck plate girder

Description:
Deck plate girder bridge over Forest Street

Significance:

Local