Northwood Bridge

The Northwood Bridge, also known as Goose River Bridge, is a historic 56-foot-long (17 m) bridge across the Goose River about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Northwood, North Dakota. Dating from 1906, it is significant as a relatively rare example of a half-hip type of Pratt pony truss bridge. It is also significant as the oldest surviving documented bridge in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.[1][2]

Northwood Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	Across the Goose River, unnamed county rd., 1.5 mi. SW of Northwood, North Dakota
Coordinates	47°43′3″N 97°36′25″W
Built	1906
Architect	Fargo Bridge & Iron Co.
Architectural style	Pratt pony truss, other
MPS	Historic Roadway Bridges of North Dakota MPS
NRHP reference No.	97000175[1]
Added to NRHP	February 27, 1997

Another bridge on the same river, the Goose River Bridge, is also NRHP-listed in North Dakota.[1] The Northwood Bridge was listed a few months later.[2]

The Northwood Bridge is one of ten bridges of the Fargo Bridge & Iron Co. in North Dakota that are listed on the National Register.[1]

Collapse

On July 22, 2019, at approximately 1:15 pm, a 2005 Peterbilt tractor trailer driven by Michael Dodds and loaded with dry beans attempted to cross over the restricted-weight bridge. The bridge collapsed, and the trailer became hung up on the west abutment. The bridge was rated for 14 short tons (13 t) gross weight, with restrictions marked. Dodds's truck's weight was just over 43 tons, or 86,750 pounds (39.35 t). An overload citation of $11,400 was issued. Dodds was uninjured. The estimated replacement cost of the bridge is between $800,000.00 and $1,000,000.[3]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Mark Hufstetler (December 10, 1996). "NRHP Inventory-Nomination: Northwood Bridge / Goose River Bridge;32GF82". National Park Service. and Accompanying three photos
3. • Phil Helsel (July 22, 2019). "Overweight big rig collapses 100-year-old bridge in North Dakota, sheriff's office says". nbcnews.com. NBC News. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
   • Paul Walsh (July 22, 2019). "GPS-obeying trucker's overweight rig sends historic N.D. bridge collapsing into river". startribune.com. The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota). Retrieved July 22, 2019.