Some idiot farmer decided a great thing to do would be to full a massive piece of farm equipment over this pin-connected truss in an equally massive tractor. Now, thanks to his complete lack of brain cells North Dakota, with its very small surviving collection of historic bridges, has one less historic bridge. https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/velva-ar...
The river this bridge crosses is more commonly known as the Souris River (it sometimes is called the Mouse River in the U.S.) and is the river that is in the news for its unprecedented flooding. Unfortunately, that might well spell the end for a bridge like this.
By the way, the 1940 date is clearly incorrect, this seems to be a ca 1905 bridge. I wonder if this bridge was relocated in that year.
Nathan,
The demolition occurred around 6pm Friday, October 9, 2020. I think it was a combination of weight and width. I'm guessing that the plow hit the endpost. "The Highway Patrol said 41-year-old Kris Walcker was pulling a large plow with a John Deere tractor."
https://knoxradio.com/news/local/nd-bridge-collapse
https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/bridge-over-mouse-rive...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bridge-collapses-near-velv...
I realize the reason we are doing away with truss bridges is because they aren't idiot-proof but I suspect that nature will simply make a bigger idiot.
Regards,
Art S.