A second route would be constructed in 1915, connecting Auto Club Junction (along the Minnesota River) to West Minneapolis.
These two routes became a part of the Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern Railway in 1918.
The MNS was a small local freight hauler in the Minneapolis area. It served independently until 1982, when it was purchased by the Soo Line.
In 1984, Canadian Pacific Railway gained complete control of the Soo Line. Unfortunately for this route, the major connections of the Milwaukee Road, Chicago & North Western, Rock Island and Chicago Great Western all sold or removed their area trackage.
Currently, Canadian Pacific owns the route between West Minneapolis and Lakeville, although Savage to Lakeville does not operate. The bridge across the Minnesota River is owned by the Twin Cities & Western Railroad, and Progressive Rail owns the tracks between Lakeville and Northfield.
06/26/21
This standard beam bridge crosses over Minnesota Highway 13 in Savage.
Built in 1908, the bridge originally featured a through girder span with trestle approaches, built to cross the Omaha Road. In 1939, six I-Beam spans were added to the south side of the bridge.
The entire bridge rests on concrete, steel and wood substructures.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. The bridge may be replaced in the near future, because of the awkward roadway geometry.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from the road it crosses.