The following year, the route was completed to Austin, Minnesota. By 1870, the route would be absorbed by the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.
The railroad became a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. The Milwaukee Road operated a number of lines throughout Southern Minnesota. This route was the main route to Iowa from the Twin Cities.
In 1915, the railroad was reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railway in 1928. This route stayed a secondary mainline until 1985, when the Milwaukee Road was merged with the Soo Line (Canadian Pacific).
Being a secondary route, the route was sold off in the late 1980s or early 1990s. In 1997, it became a part of I&M Rail Link, and later the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad in 2002. By 2008, the IC&E along with sister Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern became a part of Canadian Pacific Railway.
Currently, a portion of this line from Iowa to Owatonna is operated as CP, while CP owns the line from Owatonna to Faribault.
Progressive Rail leases the line between Eagan and Faribault. Union Pacific operates the route as its Albert Lea Subdivision between Rosemount and Comus. Between Eagan and Mendota, the railroad has been abandoned.
06/26/21
Located about halfway between Faribault and Medford, this bridge crosses County Road 45.
Originally built in 1934 to cross US-65, this bridge was built with a single steel girder main span and trestle approaches. It rests on concrete and timber substructures. US-65 was decommissioned north of Albert Lea in 1980.
Grade separations like this are common. Two more existed over the same former route of US-65 in Rosemount and Inver Grove Heights. The one in Rosemount has been replaced, while the one in Inver Grove still exists.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. The future of this line is currently unknown, although Rice County has established an authority on obtaining the railroad right of way should it ever be abandoned.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.