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| Name | Luce Line Trail Truss Bridge |
| Built By | Electric Short Line Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) |
| Superstructure Contractor (1885 Fabrication) Superstructure Contractor (2008 Rehabilitation) |
Unknown Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. of Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania |
| Substructure Contractor (2008 Relocation) | Lunda Construction Company of Black River Falls, Wisconsin |
| Engineer (2008 Rehabilitation) | TKDA Engineering of St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Length | 130 Feet |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt through truss |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1885, relocated to Minnesota 1913; relocated here and rehabilitated 2008 |
| Original Location | Chicago & Alton Railroad Illinois River Bridge; Pearl, Illinois |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to trail traffic |
| Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Bridge Number | 14.51 |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/5/2016 |
In 1909, the Electric Short Line Railway (ELSR) began construction of a 54-mile route extending from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Hutchinson, Minnesota. Due to financial troubles, the railroad would not be completed until 1916. By 1922, further extensions were being made to Cosmos, and in 1923, the railroad would be extended to Lake Lillian. Financial trouble in 1924 caused the foreclosure of the ELSR, and the railroad would be reorganized as the Minnesota Western Railroad (MW) the same year. The goal of the railroad was to eventually reach Brookings, South Dakota. The final extension was completed in 1927, when the railroad reached Gluek, Minnesota. The railroad, nicknamed the "Luce Line" due to its operation by the Luce Family, was intended to serve under served farming communities in western Minnesota. Due to the late start and little capital, the railroad was often struggling financially.
In 1956, the railroad would be purchased by the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (M&StL), which operated the route as a subsidiary known as the Minneapolis Industrial Railway. In 1960, the M&StL would be purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). The C&NW saw little use for this branch line, and deferred maintenance with the goal of abandoning the route. In 1970, the C&NW would remove 104 miles of railroad between Gluek and Plymouth, Minnesota. The route between Cosmos and Plymouth was purchased by the Minnesota DNR for trail use. In 1995, C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). In 2023, UP continues to operate the Plymouth to Minneapolis segment of the line, while the portion between Plymouth and Cosmos has become part of the Luce Line State Trail. The remainder of the route has been abandoned and reverted to adjacent landowners
Located across Old US-12 (Wayzata Boulevard) between Long Lake and Wayzata, this through truss bridge currently carries the Luce Line Trail. Originally fabricated in 1885 by an unknown company as an approach span to the Chicago & Alton Railroads Illinois River Bridge at Pearl, Illinois; and that bridge was replaced in 1913. It is believed that the Electric Short Line acquired the bridge span at auction, and reassembled it west of Wayzata to cross the Great Northern Railway mainline. The bridge featured a 130-foot pin connected 7-panel Pratt through truss span, set onto concrete substructures. Reusing bridge spans was common for railroads in North America, as it provided a cheaper alternative to purchasing the material new.
In 2004, work began on a new alignment of US-12, and the bridge was removed. Instead of scrapping the historic bridge, it was decided to place it in a parking lot nearby for future reuse. In 2008, the bridge was rehabilitated and installed on new substructures across Wayzata Boulevard. The bridge replaced a low and narrow trestle and steel stringer bridge. During the rehabilitation, deteriorated components of the bridge were replaced, including the original stringers. Unfortunately, the abutments of the new bridge included large concrete posts, which obscure much of the portal, and look out of place on the bridge. However, this criticism is minor, and the author is glad to see a historic truss bridge reused in a creative manner. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no major deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the truss design and relocation history.
Citations
| Build date and original location | Wood+Concrete+Stone+Steel: Minnesotas Historic Bridges by Dennis P. Gardner |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |