Jump to content

Northern Pacific-BNSF Minneapolis Rail Bridge

Coordinates: 45°00′16″N 93°16′28″W / 45.00444°N 93.27444°W / 45.00444; -93.27444
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northern Pacific-BNSF Minneapolis Rail Bridge
Coordinates45°00′16″N 93°16′28″W / 45.00444°N 93.27444°W / 45.00444; -93.27444
CarriesOne track of the BNSF Railway
CrossesMississippi River
LocaleMinneapolis, Minnesota
Maintained byBNSF Railway
ID number12.1
Characteristics
DesignSeven plate girder spans and one through-truss span
Total length821 feet (250 m)
WidthTwo tracks
Longest span192 feet (59 m)
Clearance below27 feet (8.2 m)
History
Opened1884
Location
Map

Northern Pacific-BNSF Minneapolis Rail Bridge is a combination plate girder bridge and truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It was built in 1884 by the Northern Pacific Railway. The bridge was originally built in 1884 with five through-trusses. In 1927, it was renovated with nine plate-girder spans. In 1963, to provide upstream river navigation, two girder spans and three regular piers were removed to make room for a Warren truss span over the main channel, set on two heavier piers. This work took almost two years.

The bridge was originally built to provide access to Northern Pacific's yards just north of downtown Minneapolis. By the 1980s the yards were mostly gone, but the bridge remains as a link to industries located north of downtown that still require rail service by Northern Pacific successor BNSF.

River span with center truss looking South, Minneapolis, MN

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  • Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.
  • Hofsommer, Don L. (2005). Minneapolis and the Age of Railways. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-4501-9.