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| Name | Soo Line Sauk River Bridge |
| Built By | Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Stearns County |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 210 Feet Total, 98 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 40 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Warren Deck Truss and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1908 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned, Awaiting Future Trail Development |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/8/2012 |
In 1907, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line) began construction on a new railroad line, extending from the existing mainline at Brooten, Minnesota; to the Twin Ports city of Duluth, Minnesota. The first 87 miles were completed by the end of 1908, with the remaining 100 miles completed in 1909. The Soo Line was a smaller railroad in the Midwest, with routes extending through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Dakota. It was operated as a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). This route became a critical connection for the Soo Line, providing a connection between the existing mainline at Brooten and the industries at Duluth. By 1937, the Soo Line had entered bankruptcy, and it would be reorganized as the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad in 1944.
By 1961, the Soo Line would be merged with other CP subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and Wisconsin Central Railroad to form Soo Line Railroad, a company controlled by CP. In 1984, the Soo Line would be reorganized as the Soo Line Corporation, and the railroad would be fully merged into CP in 1990. The segment from Genola to Superior was abandoned in 1990. The segment from Genola to Boyleston was purchased by MNDOT and Douglas County, Wisconsin and converted to the Soo Line Trail. The remainder of the route would be abandoned in 1996, and purchased by Morrison and Stearns Counties for trail use. Today, much of the route has been converted to the Soo Line Trail, and further work is being done in Stearns County to convert the railroad to the Dairyland Trail.
Located near the small town of New Munich, this deck truss bridge carries the abandoned Soo Line across the Sauk River. Built in 1908, the bridge features a single 98-foot 10-panel Warren deck truss bridge, with riveted connections. This style of truss was often built by the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company, and numerous examples were built for the Soo Line. The bridge is set onto concrete piers, and approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. As of 2024, trail development is planned for the bridge, but has not yet been funded. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
Citations
| Build Date | Construction of line |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |