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| Name | Le Roy Trail Bridge |
| Built By | Chicago Great Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Length | 340 Feet Total, 60 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1903, Approaches Replaced c. 1980 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 7/13/2015; 4/1/2021 |
In 1890, the Winona & Southwestern Railway (W&SW) began construction of 114 miles of new railroad extending from Winona, Minnesota to Osage, Iowa. The new line would be completed in 1891, and the W&SW would be sold to the Winona & Western Railway Company in 1894. The W&W would be sold to the Wisconsin, Minnesota & Pacific (WM&P) Railroad Company in 1901. The WM&P was subsequently leased by the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW) the same year. The CGW would be reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railroad (CGW) in 1909. The CGW had acquired and constructed a modest railroad network throughout Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri; connecting major cities in these states. The CGW was one of the smaller railroads in the area, and was late to develop lines. As a result, the railroad never saw the fortunes of other railroads in the area.
This line served as a secondary route for the CGW, and was never extended further. In 1920, the WM&P was consolidated into the CGW. By 1936, a segment from Winona to Altura would be abandoned. In the early 20th Century, the CGW was often surviving on razor-thin profit margins. In 1940, the CGW entered bankruptcy, and was again reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railway. After the bankruptcy, the CGW became an innovative railroad, pioneering intermodal service and becoming one of the first railroads to completely switch to diesel locomotives. A capital improvement program was launched in 1949, which sought to rebuild and rehabilitate deteriorated infrastructure. The segment from Altura to Utica was abandoned in 1962, and the segment from McIntyre, Iowa to Osage in 1964. In 1968, the CGW would be purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). Further abandonments were made between Utica and Simpson in 1969 and Stewartville and McIntyre in 1977. Today, the entirety of the line has been abandoned, although many remains of the line can still be found.
Located in Le Roy, this deck plate girder bridge crosses the Upper Iowa River on DNR owned land. Little is known about the history of this bridge. The bridge consists of five deck plate girder spans of various sizes, set onto timber pile piers. In addition, trestle spans originally approached each end of the bridge, but these were replaced when the bridge was converted to trail use. One girder span has a plaque indicating it was built in 1903 by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company. Because of the various sizes of spans and timber substructures, it appears likely that this bridge was built using spare parts, originally fabricated at other locations. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it was a cost effective way to replace bridges. If a steel span became inadequate at one location, it often could be feasibly repaired, and installed at another location. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |