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Moose Lake Rail Crossing

Through Girder Bridge over Willard Munger Trail and Highway 61
Moose Lake, Carlton County, Minnesota

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Moose Lake Rail Crossing
Built By Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By State of Minnesota
Length 205 Feet Total, 80 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 35 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Through Girder, I-Beam and Trestle
Substructure Type Timber Pile and Concrete
Date Built 1908 and 1915
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
Significance Local Significance


This Soo Line Bridge is much resemblant of other types of Soo Line Structures. It shows a number of different designs, signaling it was built at different times.
The larger of the two portions spans the former Northern Pacific route, now Willard Munger State Trail. This section features a single through girder span, built in 1908.
In addition, a series of trestle spans with a main I-Beam span was constructed in 1915 to cross a highway. This highway later became US-61, and is now a county road. The bridge rests on a combination of timber and concrete substructures.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition. Some deterioration of the concrete substructures has begun. Today, the bridge serves as part of a state trail.

The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date (Girder Span) Build date of line
Build Date (Beam Span) 2012 National Bridge Inventory
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele