Located about one mile north of the Iowa/Minnesota border, this long deck girder bridge crosses the Upper Iowa River.
Built in 1903, the bridge consists of six deck girder spans. After the abandonment in 1977, the original trestle approaches were removed. When it was restored for trail use, new timber beam spans were added. The original bridge piers are of timber pile construction, while the newer abutments are concrete.
Similar to the Watertown Trail Bridge in Carver County, the approaches were replaced by the state of Minnesota upon conversion to trail. It is unknown why the railroad would have removed trestle spans. The author theorizes it may be related to a liability issue, such as the city asking for them removed until a trail deck could be built.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition. It is currently part of the Shooting Star Trail, and is significantly larger than originally thought.
The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.