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| Name | Root River Trail Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #Q-188 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago |
| Length | 458 Feet Total, 135 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 26 Feet |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt through truss and timber pile trestle |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and timber pile |
| Date Built | 1899, approach rebuilt 1956 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | Q-188 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 7/21/2015 |
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 east of Lanesboro, this through truss bridge crosses the Root River at its confluence with the South Branch Root River. Originally built in 1899, the bridge features a single 135-foot 6-panel Pratt through truss span. When first constructed, this span was set onto stone abutments. During a flood in 1916, much of the approach and abutments were washed out. In response, a long trestle approach was added to the west end of the bridge, and new concrete substructures constructed. This timber approach was last updated in 1956.
This style of Pratt through truss was a standard of the Milwaukee Road. Numerous examples of this design were constructed between 1893 and 1900, with Lassig Bridge & Iron Works completing most of them. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no serious defects visible. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
Citations
| Build Date | Milwaukee Road Bridge Index, located at the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Contractor | Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |