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Name	Soo Line Trail - Kettle River Bridge (South)
Built By	Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Currently Owned By	Pine County
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	480 Feet Total, 98 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	75 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Warren Deck Truss, Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Steel Tower, Concrete, Steel Pile and Timber Pile
Date Built	1909, Approaches Rebuilt c. 1960
Original Location (Approach Spans)	Unknown
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status	Open to Trail Traffic
Significance	Regional Significance
Documentation Date	4/18/2015

In 1907, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line) began construction on a new railroad line, extending from the existing mainline at Brooten, Minnesota; to the Twin Ports city of Duluth, Minnesota. The first 87 miles were completed by the end of 1908, with the remaining 100 miles completed in 1909. The Soo Line was a smaller railroad in the Midwest, with routes extending through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Dakota. It was operated as a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). This route became a critical connection for the Soo Line, providing a connection between the existing mainline at Brooten and the industries at Duluth. By 1937, the Soo Line had entered bankruptcy, and it would be reorganized as the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad in 1944.

By 1961, the Soo Line would be merged with other CP subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and Wisconsin Central Railroad to form Soo Line Railroad, a company controlled by CP. In 1984, the Soo Line would be reorganized as the Soo Line Corporation, and the railroad would be fully merged into CP in 1990. The segment from Genola to Superior was abandoned in 1990. The segment from Genola to Boyleston was purchased by MNDOT and Douglas County, Wisconsin and converted to the Soo Line Trail. The remainder of the route would be abandoned in 1996, and purchased by Morrison and Stearns Counties for trail use. Today, much of the route has been converted to the Soo Line Trail, and further work is being done in Stearns County to convert the railroad to the Dairyland Trail.

Located in a rural area near Sturgeon Lake, this large deck truss viaduct crosses the Kettle River. Originally built in 1909, the bridge initially featured a single 98-foot 10-panel riveted Warren Deck Truss, set onto steel towers with concrete footings. 40-foot deck plate girder spans were installed on the steel towers, and a long trestle approach was constructed on either side. This particular design of deck truss was commonly built by the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company, and was used in several locations along the Soo Line. In approximately 1960, the approaches of the bridge were rebuilt, an a 40-foot deck plate girder was installed on the west end, while a 50-foot span was installed on the east end. New steel pile piers were built, and the steel components of the bridge were approached by wooden trestle on either end. It is believed that these deck plate girder spans were likely relocated to this location, but no information has been found.

This style of bridge was relatively uncommon along railroads throughout the United States, as it was often more difficult and costly to construct. Reusing spans was a common way for railroads to save money. Often, spans that were replaced at other locations could feasibly be reused on lines with less traffic. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The bridge was converted to trail use in the 1990s, and now serves as the Soo Line ATV Trail. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique design.

Build Date	Completion of line
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

Soo Line Trail - Kettle River Bridge (South)

Sturgeon Lake, Pine County, Minnesota