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Chaska Trestle

Severely Burned Wooden Trestle over Minnesota River Overflow
Chaska, Carver County, Minnesota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Chaska Trestle
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Minnesota DNR
Length 445 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Wooden Pile Trestle
Substructure Type Timber Pile
Date Built 1953
Date Burned October 31st, 1996
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Burnt Trail)
Current Status Abandoned
MILW Bridge Number O-110
Significance Local Significance
A brief history of the Milwaukee Road route from Minneapolis to the Missouri River:


06/16/22


Consisting of 28 spans, this large wooden trestle once carried the Chaska Shakopee Trail across a flood plain.
Crossings at this location date to 1871. This bridge was updated about every 40 years, and last updated in 1953.
The bridge was one of three structures along the Chaska Shakopee Trail. The longest bridge, this one has stood severely damaged since 1996.
It is believed that the bridge caught fire in 1996, not long after the Minnesota River Bridge was demolished.
Reports vary, but it is believed that the fire occurred on Halloween Night (October 31st) of 1996.
Since the fire, the bridge has been in a very deteriorated and damaged condition. Located so close to popular trails in Chaska, it is surprising that this abandoned relic does not receive more attention.
After the fire, the bridge had the western span removed to keep trespassers off the structure. Since then, the bridge has sat abandoned. Eventually, the bridge will likely collapse in a large flood.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design and unknown history.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge is easily accessed from local trails.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Central Library
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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