Weber River Railroad Bridge

The Weber River Railroad Bridge is a remnant of the extensive rail lines which made Ogden, Utah “Junction City.” It is the only Pegram truss bridge in Utah.

The Weber River Railroad Bridge, also known as the Ogden Pegram Truss Railroad Bridge, was built by Edge Moor Bridge Works (based out of Wilmington, Delaware) for the Oregon Short Line Railroad. It replaced an iron bridge that had been at that location for the Utah Central Railroad. The Pegram Bridge was made from timber, steel and asphalt that extended across the Weber River 157 feet in length.

The designer of the bridge, George H. Pegram (1855 - 1937) patented his truss design in 1887 -- with chords that are wider at the bottom but of the same length as each other at the top. Subsequently many Pegram truss bridges were built by various railroad companies -- 20 in 1890 for the Missouri Pacific alone. Pegram joined the Union Pacific in 1883 and spent considerable time in Utah, particularly in Ogden. He was involved in many engineering projects including a steel pipeline for the Pioneer Electric Company.

The railroad had a significant impact on Ogden. The city became known as Junction City because of the many major north-south and east-west lines which joined there. The Weber River Bridge was part of the original main line connecting Ogden with Salt Lake City in 1869. The line later became a secondary line, the Evona Branch, providing a spur to the industrial sector west of Ogden.

Though the bridge is now currently out of use. The Weber River Railroad Bridge is an important reminder of the significance of railroads to the economic and cultural life of the area. The bridge was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

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