- 1908: 87 miles completed from Brooten to Onamia, Minnesota by Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway
- 1909: 100 miles completed from Onamia to Duluth, Minnesota by Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway
- 1961: MStP&SSM merged with Wisconsin Central Railway and Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway to form Soo Line Railroad
- 1984: Soo Line Corporation created by Canadian Pacific Railway as a holding company
- 1990: Soo Line Corporation is fully controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway, and the last train operates on this route
- 1993: Canadian Pacific formally abandons the route, and it is acquired by the State of Minnesota, Morrison County and Stearns County
- 1996-Present: Grade is developed as the Soo Line Trail and the Dairyland Trail
- Future Plans: Stearns County plans to complete the Dairyland Trail from Brooten to Albany
06/26/21
This large trestle crosses over I-94, the Lake Wobegon Trail and County Road 157 near Albany.
Originally built as a large girder and trestle bridge to cross the Great Northern railroad and a road in 1908, the bridge saw a significant alteration to cross I-94/US-52 in 1956.
Currently, the bridge features a deck girder crossing County Road 157 on the north, as well as a steel stringer span crossing Lake Wobegon Trail. These two spans are connected and approached by wooden trestle. On the south end, a four span girder bridge on concrete piers crosses I-94.
The southern extension was built in 1956, originally to cross a relocated US-52. I-94 was authorized later that year. I-94 was not the same limited access highway it is today until 1968, when 37 miles of freeway between Albany and Osakis opened. I-94 was completed across Minnesota in 1985.
Overall, this bridge appears to be in good condition. It's future includes reuse in a recreational trail.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design. Despite this rating, this is one of the largest trestle/girder combination bridges in Minnesota.
The photo above is an overview of the northernmost spans.