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| Name | Adams Trail Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #S-132 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 110 Feet Total, 65 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | c. 1940 Using a Span Fabricated c. 1900 |
| Original Location | Unknown |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | S-132 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/1/2021 |
In 1864, the Minnesota Central Railway began construction of a new railroad between Mendota, Minnesota and Faribault, Minnesota. The line would be completed between Mendota and Fairbault in 1865, and would be extended to Owatonna in 1866. In 1867, the McGregor Western Railway would extend the line through Austin, Minnesota and towards Cresco, Iowa; connecting to an existing line extending to McGregor, Iowa. The Minnesota Central conveyed the Mendota to Owatonna line to the McGregor Western Railway Company in 1867, which in turn was purchased by the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company (M&StP). In 1874, the M&StP would change its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company (CM&StP) in 1874. Known as the Milwaukee Road, the railroad was beginning to amass a large collection of railroads throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
This line served as a secondary mainline, bypassing the congested mainline along the Mississippi River. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the
costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company
declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul
and Pacific Railroad in 1928. As the Milwaukee Road continued to struggle in the 1970s and 1980s, portions of the railroad would be abandoned. The line between Austin and Cresco would be abandoned in 1983. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo
Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the
Milwaukee Road in 1986. In 1997, CP would sell the Austin to Comus segment to I&M Rail Link, which was purchased by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) subsidiary Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E). The DM&E/IC&E were purchased by Canadian Pacific in 2008. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC, the current owner of the Mendota to Austin line. Progressive Rail operates portions of the line in Faribault and Inver Grove Heights, while much of the line between Faribault and Owatonna is out of service.
Located on the east side of Adams, this through girder bridge carries the Shooting Star State Trail across an unnamed tributary of the Little Cedar River. Built in approximately 1940, the bridge consists of a single 65-foot through plate girder span, approached by timber trestle on either side. The girder appears to have originally been fabricated in approximately 1900, and utilizes rounded edges, typical of Milwaukee Road bridges. It appears that this span was originally constructed at another unknown location, and moved here to replace a smaller deck plate girder span. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it provided an economical way to reconstruct bridges on branch lines. Often, when a steel span became inadequate at one location, it could feasibly be reused on a branch line. This particular span does not appear to have received any significant alterations. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |