Click the photo to view the full-size version
| Name | Milaca Trail Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #24.7 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | City of Milaca |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 148 Feet Total, 75 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 32 Feet |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry Concrete |
| Date Built | 1941 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 27.4 (Old #39) |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/18/2015 |
In 1882, the Minneapolis & St. Cloud Railroad (M&StC) constructed a 66 mile route between St. Cloud, Minnesota and Hinckley, Minnesota. The line would be extended to reach Superior by another railroad in 1888. In 1889, the M&StC would change its name to the Great Northern Railway (GN). GN would go on to operate a large number of lines in Minnesota. By 1899, a connection was built from Brook Park to Fridley, reducing the need for this line. GN continued to operate this route as a secondary route, until GN was merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN).
In 1983, BN abandoned a segment of track between St. Cloud and Mora, Minnesota. Much of the railroad grade was returned to adjacent landowners. In 1996, BN would merge with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. In an effort to sell branch lines, the segment between Brook Park and Mora would be sold to the St. Croix Valley Railroad (SCXY) in 1997, and later abandoned in 2003. This segment was railbanked for future trail use. In 2004, the remaining segment of track in the St. Cloud area would be sold to Northern Lines Railroad, which abandoned the spur in 2018.
Located in Milaca, this deck plate girder bridge carries a pedestrian trail across the Rum River. Built in 1941 to replace an earlier 1899-era through truss bridge, the bridge consists of a pair of deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete and stone substructures. The stone abutments were reused from the previous truss bridge.
It is currently unknown if the girders were new or reused at this location. Railroads often relocated steel and iron spans to other locations as a cost effective way to replace branch line bridges. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no critical defects noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build Date | Date Stamp |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |