Boom Island Pedestrian Bridge

Downtown, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

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Name	Boom Island Pedestrian Bridge Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #981
Built By	Wisconsin Central Railway
Currently Owned By	City of Minneapolis
Superstructure Contractor	Butler-Ryan Company of St. Paul, Minnesota
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Chief Engineer Design Engineer	Robert B. Tweedy C.F. Loweth
Length	175 Feet Total
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type	Pratt through truss
Substructure Type	Concrete
Date Built	1901
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status	Open to trail traffic
	Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #981
Significance	Regional Significance
Documentation Date	11/28/2013; 4/4/2015

In 1901, the Wisconsin Central Railway (WC) began building a new railroad line to serve the logging industry at Boom Island, in Minneapolis. The line paralleled the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway (later Great Northern Railway) line, curved away at the East Channel bridge, followed the north edge of Nicollet Island, crossed a truss bridge to Boom Island, and terminated at Boom Island at an extensive facility, including a roundhouse and large yard. The line would be purchased by the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW) in 1909, which was later purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway in 1968. By the early 1970s, the line was no longer necessary, and it was removed between 1972 and 1979. Today, the portion along Nicollet Island is a trail, with the truss bridge to Boom Island restored for pedestrian use. The east channel bridge is abandoned, and there is no evidence there was ever railroad yards on Boom Island.

Located between Nicollet Island and Boom Island, this large through truss bridge is a hidden gem in Minneapolis. Built in 1901 to carry the Wisconsin Central to Boom Island, the bridge would later be used by the Chicago Great Western. The bridge features a single 8-panel, pin connected Pratt through truss, set onto concrete substructures. The truss features a lattice portal bracing and laced endposts. After the bridge was abandoned, it was in danger of demolition as part of the proposed Interstate 335. By the 1980s, I-335 was cancelled, and the bridge would be reused as a pedestrian bridge. It was further restored in 2018, with new decking, and other improvements. Overall, the bridge is in good condition, with no major defects noted. The author has rated the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique builder.

Mississippi River Railroad Bridges

Upstream Description	Next Bridge Upstream
Upstream Display	BNSF Mississippi River Bridge (North Minneapolis)
Adjacent Channel Description(s)	West Channel Bridge
Adjacent Channel Display	BNSF Nicollet Island Bridge
Downstream Description(s)	Next Bridge Downstream
Downstream Display	Abandoned East Channel Bridge

Builder and build date	Plaque on bridge
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele