High Bridge (Latah Creek)
High Bridge, a railroad bridge over Latah Creek in Spokane, Washington, was constructed in 1972 by the Burlington Northern Railroad, following that railroad's creation in 1970 through the merger of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Spokane, Portland & Seattle railways. The bridge links the former Northern Pacific mainline with the former Great Northern and Spokane, Portland & Seattle lines to the west.[1] The Latah Creek railroad bridge and two bridges carrying Interstate 90 and Sunset Highway cross High Bridge Park.
High Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 47.6488°N 117.4476°W |
| Carries | Trains |
| Crosses | Latah Creek Interstate 90 |
| Locale | Spokane, Washington U.S. |
| Owner | BNSF Railway |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 3,950 feet (1,200 m) |
| Height | 175 feet (53 m) |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 1 |
| History | |
| Replaces | Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company's (later Union Pacific) High Bridge |
| Location | |
 | |
The bridge is 3,950 feet (1,200 m) long, and its piers reach up to 175 feet (53 m) from the Latah Creek canyon floor. It is constructed of six weathering high-strength steel 160-foot-long (49 m) box girders spans bridging the canyon itself, with adjacent spans from 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 m), supported by concrete piers. A ballasted concrete deck slab supports the railroad track. The western end of the bridge splits to form a wye.[2]
References
- Middleton, William D. (1999). Landmarks on the Iron Road: Two Centuries of North American Railroad Engineering. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 64–66. ISBN 0253335590.
- Shedd, Jack P., F. ASCE (1973). "Steel Box Girder Makes Handsome Bridge" (PDF). Modern Steel Construction. Vol. 13, no. 2. American Institute of Steel Construction. Retrieved April 30, 2019.