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Melrose Trail Bridge (West)

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over Sauk River
Melrose, Stearns County, Minnesota

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Name Melrose Trail Bridge (West)
Built By Great Northern Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Minnesota DNR
Length 140 Feet Total, 45 Foot Largest Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1950
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
Significance Minimal Significance
Documentation Date January 2022


Located west of Melrose, this deck girder bridge is the second crossing of the Sauk River on the Lake Wobegon Trail.
Built in 1950 to replace a similar deck girder built in 1903, the bridge features three deck girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. In addition, the original stone abutments still remain from the old bridge as retaining walls.
This style of bridge is exceptionally common on American railroads, due to the ease of construction and durability.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with minor spalling noted throughout the structure.

The author has ranked the bridge as being minimally significant, due to the newer age and common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Great Northern Bridge Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele