CN Cedar River Bridge (Lyle)

Located just west of Lyle, this large through truss bridge crosses the Cedar River south of County Road 6. Built in 1900, the bridge consists of a massive 192-foot 7-panel, pin connected Baltimore through truss, approached by timber trestle spans on the east end. The substructures consist of concrete and timber piles. Truss spans were occasionally used to span larger river crossings, such as this one. Railroads often preferred simpler designs, due to the additional engineering and more complex construction required for a truss.

Because the Cedar River is prone to severe flooding, a design was sought for this bridge which minimized any in-stream piers. The chosen design was a unique pin connected Baltimore through truss, the only known such railroad span in Minnesota. The truss itself is an unusual variant of a Baltimore design, as the lower portions of the panels utilize heavily constructed laced members, while the top portions are mainly lightly constructed steel bar members. It appears this truss was a special design, with no known examples of Baltimore trusses in the Midwest utilizing the same features. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. However, some spalling has begun to appear on the pier. The approach was reportedly last updated in 1965. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual design.