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| Name | Rushford Trail Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #Q-138 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 333 Feet Total, 123 Foot Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 19 Feet |
| Superstructure Design | Through plate girder and trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber pile |
| Date Built | 1969, approaches rebuilt 1938 (east) and 1942 (west) |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | Q-138 |
| Significance | Minimal Significance |
| Documentation Date | 12/28/2014 |
In 1872, the Southern Minnesota Railroad constructed 165 miles of new track in Southern Minnesota from La Crescent, Minnesota to Winnebago, Minnesota. The railroad was sold and reorganized in 1877 as the Southern Minnesota Railway. In 1878, the line would be extended an additional 138 miles to Flandreau, South Dakota by the The Southern Minnesota Railway Extension, which was controlled by the Southern Minnesota Railway beginning in 1880. In 1880, the Southern Minnesota Railway conveyed it's property to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. Known as the Milwaukee Road, the railroad was beginning to amass a large collection of railroads throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The line would later be extended to Wessington Springs, South Dakota.
The Milwaukee Road operated this route as a secondary route, connecting cities and other lines in Southern Minnesota and South Dakota. 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 face financial turmoil, branch lines began to see deteriorated conditions. By 1980, the Milwaukee Road was looking to reduce its trackage, and it abandoned this line between Ramsey and La Crescent, as well as Jackson and Flandreau. Portions of the line between Ramsey and La Crescent were purchased for trail use, and the portion of the line from Fountain to Houston was reused as the Root River State Trail. 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 2023, CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway to form CPKC, the current operator of the Ramsey to Jackson segment of this line.
Located in the town of Rushford, this large through girder bridge carries the Root River across Rush Creek. Built in 1969 to replace an older pony truss bridge, the bridge features a single 123' through plate girder, approached by two spans of pile trestle on the west end and thirteen spans of pile trestle on the east end. The entire bridge rests on timber substructures. The east approach was last rebuilt in 1938, and the west approach in 1942.
The previous bridge at this location was a standard 123-foot pin connected Pratt pony truss span. It was relocated here from an unknown location in 1936. When the truss span was replaced, it is possible it was one of a couple of spans reused in Washington State to replace an aging covered bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the approach spans. The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the newer age.
Citations
| Build Date | Historic Newspaper Article |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |