Rating:
3 votes

Blaine's Crossing

Linn County, Iowa

Photos 

Overview

This bridge was found by chance while on a bridgehunting tour, as it can be seen from the Hwy. 151 Bridge. Since the bridge was fenced off from both ends and far away, the last option was to focus in on the span with the camera and take some shots from a nearby local road. From Google Earth, it appears that the bridge's flooring has long since been removed and the bridge is now nothing more than a truss structure.

Photo taken by Jason Smith

Enlarge

BH Photo #211882

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Abandoned pratt through truss bridge over Big Creek on Abandoned road (formerly US 151)
Location
Bertram, Linn County, Iowa
Status
Abandoned
Future prospects
Abandoned and fenced off as private property
History
Built around 1910; Abandoned when the US151 bypass bridge was built in 1965.
Design
Pin-connected Pratt through truss bridge with A-frame portal bracings
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.94272, -91.54070   (decimal degrees)
41°56'34" N, 91°32'27" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/620965/4644446 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Bertram
Inventory number
BH 49478 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

A-frame portal (522)
Abandoned (3,945)
Bertram, Iowa (7)
Built during 1910s (10,027)
Deck removed (58)
Iowa (6,812)
Linn County, Iowa (251)
 Owned privately (1,949)
Pin-connected (4,912)
Pratt through truss (6,145)
Pratt truss (10,427)
Through truss (17,339)
Truss (36,113)
US 151 (17)

Update Log 

  • June 29, 2020: New photos from Rob Smith
  • May 4, 2013: New photos from Dave King
  • September 2, 2011: Added by Jason Smith

Sources 

  • Jason Smith - flensburg [dot] bridgehunter [dot] av [at] googlemail [dot] com
  • Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com
  • Rob Smith
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Comments 

Blaine's Crossing
Posted June 29, 2020, by Luke

Here's a newspapers.com page with an article with the history of the road's name.

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/550964382/

Blaine's Crossing
Posted July 13, 2014, by Don Morrison

You have to select Bertram township on the last two links.

Blaine's Crossing
Posted July 13, 2014, by Don Morrison

Apparently it was a road from C.R. to Mt. Vernon, then on to the Mississippi at Clinton.

Blaine was the name of three or four property owners in the vicinity.

Some online atlases:

1895:

http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/1602813/Bertram+Towns...

1930:

http://128.255.22.135/cdm/ref/collection/atlases/id/13157

1938:

Road is designated BB from C.R. to Mt. Vernon.

http://128.255.22.135/cdm/ref/collection/atlases/id/13419

Blaine's Crossing
Posted July 12, 2014, by Jason Smith (JDSmith77 [at] gmx [dot] net)

Mystery Bridge article as part of the tour through and around Bertram: http://thebridgehunter.areavoices.com/2014/07/13/mystery-bri...