Bridgehunter.com | Great Lake Spine Trail

Photos

Close-up of the former swing (now fixed) main span

Photo taken by Jason Smith in August 2009

BH Photo #147008

Information comes from the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library.

Overview: Deck plate girder bridge over Strait between East and West Lake Oboji on formerly a railroad line between Spirit Lake and Milford, now a bike trail in Okoboji
Location: Okoboji, Dickinson County, Iowa
Status: Open to pedestrians
History: Built 1890 as a swing bridge, swing span became fixed span ca. 1920, became part of the bike trail network in 1995 linking Milford and Spirit Lake
Railroad: - Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (MILW)
Design: Combination timber trestle and cantilever deck plate girder span (main span)
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 84.0 ft.
Also called: MILW Bridge #R-1426
Approximate latitude, longitude: +43.37612, -95.12642 (decimal degrees)
43°22'34" N, 95°07'35" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 15/327737/4804779 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:: Okoboji
Inventory number: BH 43458 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

May 8, 2022: Updated by John Marvig: Added build date
July 10, 2018: Updated by Luke: Corrected build date based on petition from October 1884 complaining about the lack of a bridge tender; Removed "Pedestrian Movable Bridges" category as the bridge hasn't been moveable since 1920
May 1, 2018: New photos from John Marvig
April 22, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "Rail-to-trail", "Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad"
January 15, 2012: New photo from Quinn Phelan
July 31, 2010: New Street View added by Jason Smith
October 4, 2009: Added by Jason Smith