Carver Railroad Bridge

Located in Carver, this deck plate girder bridge once carried the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway across the Minnesota River. In the 19th Century, the Minnesota River was considered navigable to steamboat traffic as far upstream as New Ulm. However, upstream of Shakopee, the river was often not suitable for reliable commercial navigation, as the channel was filled with sand bars, snags and sharp bends. When railroads first constructed bridges across the Minnesota River, structures were required to be movable bridges, which allowed for commercial navigation. The first bridge at this location was constructed in 1871, and consisted of a 270-foot wooden Howe through truss swing span, approached by a 73-foot wooden Howe truss pony truss span on either side. The bridge was set onto three large piers, which were constructed of limestone quarried at the Spencer Quarry, located approximately two miles south of this bridge. In addition, the bridge was approached by a lengthy pile trestle approach on either side, and a small timber beam span set onto smaller stone piers carried the railroad over Main Street. American Bridge Company of Chicago reportedly constructed the first bridge, and an unknown contractor built the stonework. Work on the bridge began in May 1871, and the structure was completed in November of the same year, at a cost of $40,000.

By the 1880s, railroad traffic had become too heavy for the light timber bridge, and it was decided to replace the bridge with a new iron bridge. In 1889, work began on the replacement bridge, which would consist of a 270-foot lattice through truss swing span, approached by a 73-foot double intersection Warren pony truss span on either end. The trusses all used riveted connections, and the swing span used a lattice portal. In addition, the beam span over Main Street was replaced by a new iron beam span at this time. It is believed that the lengthy timber pile trestle approach may have been upgraded and partially filled at this time. The bridge reused the stone piers from the previous bridge, and may have been fabricated by the Lassig Bridge & Iron Work. These designs of trusses were often used by the Chicago & North Western Railway, but were overall uncommon for railroad use in the United States.

By 1916, the iron bridge had become too light for traffic, and the Minnesota River was no longer navigable this far upstream. In 1917, the M&StL replaced the truss bridge with six new deck plate girder spans (four spans at 67-feet 8-inches and two at 72-feet 6-inches). Five new concrete piers were constructed for the bridge, and two stone piers reused and capped with concrete. 10 spans of timber pile trestle were installed between Main Street and the northern concrete pier, and 42 spans of trestle were installed as the south approach of the bridge. The stone center pier was removed to the water line. Future plans of the bridge included the construction of a second track, should traffic demand provide sufficient. The replacement bridge was designed by the M&StL engineering department. American Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, and the Widdell Company constructed the concrete substructures. An unknown contractor was awarded the contract to erect the new bridge. Upon construction of the new bridge, the old spans were removed. The swing span is believed to have been scrapped, while the approach spans were dismantled, and the truss lines stored at the Carver Depot until a suitable location for reuse could be found. One span was reused as an overpass in Victoria, Minnesota; which was replaced in 2003. The other span was rebuilt and installed to carry 220th Street over the M&StL near Moorland, Iowa; where it continues to serve automobile traffic.

Deck plate girder spans were popular for replacing truss spans, as they were durable and easy to construct. In addition, the girder spans could be assembled offsite and installed with minimal interruption to traffic. Due to the close spacing of the piers, the removed center pier and the sharp bend in the river, a large sandbar developed on the upstream side of the bridge. This sandbar collected significant driftwood, requiring removal every few years. By the late 20th Century, the driftwood had become too severe to keep up with, and the railroad prioritized maintnance of other structures. Flooding also endangered the bridge several times, most notably in 1965. After the C&NW took over in 1960, the bridge received little maintenance. Portions of the south approach were filled in the mid-20th Century, shortening the approach to 15 spans. The construction of a levee system in the 1990s separated this bridge from the Main Street Bridge, providing the bridge its final appearance.

After the trestle south of this bridge collapsed in March 2007, this line would be abandoned. As part of the agreement when the line was abandoned, the railroad corridor would be sold to Carver and Scott Counties, and the bridge removed. Removal of the bridge began in August 2011, starting with the removal of the girders, then the piers and trestle approaches. The piers were removed with explosives during the fall of 2011. Mike's Excavating was contracted to remove the bridge, and the girders were cut up for scrap. By Spring 2012, little remained of the bridge. Several large stones from the pier were saved for future use. In addition, the bridge over Main Street was preserved in place as a gateway to Riverside Park. At the time of demolition, the bridge was in poor condition, with significant deterioration in all components of the bridge. In addition, the south approach failed in the Spring of 2011, further adding to concerns about this bridges condition. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design. Despite this ranking, this bridge was a landmark to Carver County. In late 2024, construction began on a new pedestrian bridge, which is anticipated to open in 2026.