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| Name | BN Plum Creek Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #52.0 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Stearns County |
| Length | 64 Feet Total, 16 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Concrete Slab |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1916 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Closed to Traffic) |
| Current Status | Closed to all Traffic |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 52.0 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 1/10/2022 |
In 1882, the Minneapolis and Northwestern Railroad (M&NW) constructed a 63 mile long railroad between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota, passing through Monticello and Clearwater. The M&NW was purchased by the The Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway (StPM&M) in 1883. The StPM&M was leased to the Great Northern Railway (GN) in 1890, and sold to the GN in 1907. The railroad was controlled by railroad magnate James J. Hill. The route became a secondary mainline between Minneapolis and St. Cloud.
In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). As Northern Pacific had a parallel route across the Mississippi River, this line fell out of favor and the segment between Monticello and St. Cloud would be abandoned. In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe to form BNSF Railway, which currently operates the remaining segment between Minneapolis and Monticello as the Monticello Subdivision.
Located along County Road 75 west of Clearwater, this standard concrete slab bridge crosses Plum Creek. Built in 1916 to replace a timber trestle, the bridge utilizes four concrete slab spans, set onto concrete substructures. These types of bridges were commonly constructed by railroads throughout the United States, as they were cheap, durable and easy to construct. In addition, the slabs could be precast offsite and installed with minimal interruption to traffic. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The bridge is technically abandoned, but handrails have been installed and the bridge appears to be used as a makeshift trail. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build Date | Great Northern Willmar Division Bridge Index, located at the Minnesota Historical Society |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |