- 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
Located near Sturgeon Lake, this massive deck truss and girder viaduct crosses the Kettle River.
Built in 1909, the bridge consists of a main 5-panel, riveted Warren Deck Truss. This truss follows a standard Soo Line design. In addition, the is approached by deck girders on steel towers. A series of timber trestle spans also approach the deck girders. The entire bridge rests on concrete, steel and timber substructures.
The deck girders were likely added later to replace trestle spans. The deck girders rest on steel pile piers.
Trusses of this design are more common than other types on Soo Line routes. While Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company has been known to build at least a couple, they cannot be confirmed as the builders of this structure.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. With proper maintenance, the bridge should continue to serve traffic for years to come.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The bridge today can be accessed by taking Exit #209 from I-35, and following County Road 46 to Hillcrest Road, going through Sturgeon Lake.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Soo Line Kettle River Bridge (North) |
| Downstream | Rutledge Trail Bridge |