One of four bridges and tunnels at Westminster Junction, this stone arch is northwestern of the four remaining tunnels.
Built for a connecting track between the Omaha Road and St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba to cross the Northern Pacific, the bridge currently carries a BNSF track over a BNSF track.
Built in 1885, this small tunnel is actually classified as a stone arch, due to the overall width of the structure (30 feet).
The southern face has been rebuilt with a concrete slab span, appearing to be from the 1920s. The railroad below goes through a long trench, which connects to tunnel #3.
With only two tunnels officially numbered, this structure has been assigned the number 4 by the author. At one time, five total tunnels existed at Westminster Street. Today, four remain.
The bridge is also next to the northeast bridge, another stone arch tunnel. These two bridges share a northern portal, effectively forming a double portal. However, due to the dangerous nature of active railroad tracks and trespassing, the northern face could not be photographed.
Overall, the stone portion of the bridge appears to remain in great condition, and should continue to serve traffic for many years to come. However, a major crack appeared in the concrete south face in a 2014 photo.
A sign at the junction indicates that these four tunnels were vital to the growth of the St. Paul railroad network. Before the construction of this two level junction, a major bottleneck existed.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the economic impact these four tunnels had on the City of St. Paul and the railroad companies that built them.
The photo above is an overview.