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Ward and Teslow Bridge

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Photos 

Photo taken by Jason Smith in August 2011

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Map 

Description 

This bridge was named after the construction firm located in Decorah, which was responsible for building it. It is unknown how many Ward & Teslow bridges exist in Iowa today, but this one is a fine example of a local contractor which was influential in the region; especially during the Great Depression (as the year indicated)

Facts 

Overview
Pony truss bridge over Turkey River on 123rd Street
Location
Winneshiek County, Iowa
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1936
Builder
- Ward & Teslow of Decorah, Iowa
Design
Warren pony truss with riveted connections
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 89.9 ft.
Total length: 185.0 ft.
Deck width: 15.1 ft.
Also called
Turkey River Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+43.11300, -91.90542   (decimal degrees)
43°06'47" N, 91°54'19" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/589054/4773944 (zone/easting/northing)
Land survey
T. 96 N., R. 9 W., Sec. 21
USGS topographic map
Saint Lucas
Inventory numbers
IA 346360 (Iowa bridge number)
BH 14751 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 04/2011)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Appraisal: Functionally obsolete
Sufficiency rating: 44.7 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2009)
120

Update Log 

  • May 7, 2012: Updated by Jason Smith: Corrected some minor mistakes
  • May 7, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added builder
  • September 5, 2011: Updated by Jason Smith: Added information on the bridge and changed its name

Sources 

  • Jason Smith - JDSmith77 [at] gmx [dot] net
  • Luke Harden - lukemh9 [at] gmail [dot] com
  • Historicbridges.org - by Nathan Holth