By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Dakota City, IA – The future of the historic Murray Bridge in Humboldt County appears uncertain after a recent engineering inspection found extensive structural damage caused by a collision involving farm equipment.
The bridge is located on Florida Avenue west of Rutland in Avery Township and was built in 1905.
According to a report from Shuck-Britson Incorporated provided to Humboldt County Engineer Ben Loots, an unidentified piece of farm equipment struck multiple steel truss members and approach rails while crossing the bridge in May. Inspectors documented damage to numerous fracture-critical members on both sides of the bridge, including several members with torn steel, significant bowing, and rotation.
The bridge, which was already posted with a 3-ton weight limit before the collision, has remained closed since the incident. Shuck-Britson Incorporated is recommending the bridge remain closed to all traffic, noting the structure is in a much worse condition than before the crash.
The inspection report downgraded the bridge’s superstructure condition rating to a 1, classified as an “Imminent Failure Condition” under federal bridge inspection standards. Engineers cited visible structural movement affecting the bridge’s stability.
The report also concludes repairing the bridge is likely not practical. Engineers say repairs would require specialized contractors, extensive structural work, and significant costs. With plans already in place to reroute the roadway and construct a new bridge north of the existing crossing, the report states county resources would be better directed toward the replacement project.
No collision-related damage was found at the bridge foundations, and no injuries were reported. County officials are expected to review the report as plans move forward for the replacement crossing.
This version keeps the attribution accurate and avoids suggesting the county itself has formally decided the bridge’s fate.