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Minnesota Highway 100 Railroad Bridges

Lost Parallel Through Girder Bridges over Minnesota Highway 100
St. Louis Park, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Minnesota Highway 100 Railroad Bridges
Built By (South Span) Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railway
Built By (North Span) Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Previously Owned By (South Span) Canadian Pacific Railway
Previously Owned By (North Span) Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority
Length 110 Feet Total, 55 Foot Largest Span
Width 5 Tracks (North Span), 3 Tracks (South Span)
Height Above Ground 20 Feet Estimated
Superstructure Type Through Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1936
Date Removed 2014 (South), 2015 (North)
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge Has Been Replaced)
Current Status In Use
Significance Moderate Significance

This pair of bridges was a small reminder that Minnesota Highway 100 was originally one of the first freeways in the nation.
Built in 1937 to cross the new highway, the bridge featured a pair of stylish Through Girder spans on concrete substructures.
However, a rebuilding program eliminated the remainder of historic bridges on highway 100 between 2014 and 2015.
The south span was demolished in 2014, and the active railroad track shifted to the north span. The north span was removed in 2015 after the new railroad bridge completed.

The author has ranked the bridges as being moderately significant, due to the unique history of the structure.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source
Build Date American Bridge Company plaque
Contractor American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele