Verdigris River Railroad Bridge (BNSF)

The Verdigris River Railroad Bridge carries the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) over the Verdigris River near Catoosa, Oklahoma.

---

The Verdigris River Railroad Bridge carries the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) over the Verdigris River near Catoosa, Oklahoma.

In 1871, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad (A&P) entered the northeastern Cherokee Nation, later part of Oklahoma. ⁵ The company was building a line southwest from Pacific, Missouri, near St. Louis, intending to eventually reach the Pacific Ocean along a corridor that would later become U.S. Route 66.

Financial difficulties forced the A&P into receivership in November 1875. In September 1876, its owners incorporated the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway (SL&SF, or Frisco), absorbing the A&P’s Missouri and Central Divisions. ¹¹

Between 1881 and 1886, the Frisco extended its line from Vinita southwest to Tulsa and Sapulpa. At Vinita, the new railroad crossed the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas line, the first railroad to enter the Cherokee Nation, which sparked a small range war. As part of this expansion, the Frisco built a bridge over the Verdigris River in 1883 at a cost of $75,000. ^{2 6}

In 1896, a flood washed away one span of the bridge. ¹⁰ The entire structure was rebuilt four feet higher.

Construction of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) began in 1963 to create a 445-mile navigable waterway along the Arkansas, Verdigris, and other rivers. ¹ The channel was designed to be nine feet deep and 250–300 feet wide, providing industries with an efficient and sustainable shipping route. The system officially opened in 1968 and was dedicated in 1971.

To accommodate the navigation channel, a new Verdigris River railroad crossing was required. Work began in 1966 for $2.5 million. ³ Construction included a temporary bridge and a plug across the navigation channel while the new river crossing was built. ⁸ The new bridge, located at navigation mile 444.3 on the Verdigris River, opened on December 20, 1970. ⁹ It was built by the M.J. Lee Construction Company, which handled the superstructure, while Dixie Contractors constructed the substructure. ⁸ Steel was supplied by the Kansas City Structural Steel Company’s Kansas City Works. ^{4 7}

The Frisco remained in operation until 1980, when it was acquired by the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). ⁴ In the mid-1990s, BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF).

---

Details

---

Sources

1. Larry O’Dell, “McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System,” The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
2. Chambers, Homer S. “Crossing the Verdigris River – Then and Now.” Tulsa World, 6 Dec. 1936, p. 4-12.
3. “Navigation Work Set in October.” Tulsa World, 25 Jun. 1966, p. A4.
4. “McCLELLAN-KERR ARKANSAS RIVER NAVIGATION SYSTEM.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2016.
5. Walters, Paul. “The Frisco of My Youth: Both Gone.” WaltersRail, Jan. 2018.
6. Chambers, Homer S. “Catoosa-Indian Territory Cattle Capital.” Tulsa World, p. 4-8.
7. Plaque.
8. Mycue, Bob. “Crews ‘Unplug’ River Channel.” Tulsa World, 30 Jun. 1970, p. B1.
9. Mycue, Bob. “Target Date is Dec. 31 for Navigation to Tulsa.” Tulsa World, 10 Dec. 1970, p. A4.
10. “Vedrigris River on Rampage.” Claremore Messenger, 7 Oct. 1926, p. 1.
11. Archila, Eunice. “The Frisco’s unforgettable journey: A tale of resilience.” Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, 20 Sept. 2024.