Soo Line High Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Soo Line High Bridge is a steel deck arch bridge
over the St. Croix River
between Stillwater, Minnesota
and Somerset, Wisconsin
. It was designed by bridge architect C.A.P. Turner
and built by the American Bridge Company
. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The bridge was the second bridge on a Wisconsin Central Railway
line that connected Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
with Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The line was originally built in 1884. The crossing of the St. Croix River was difficult for the railway, since the original bridge across the river was very low and trains had to contend with a steep grade on either side of the river. This made it necessary to use helper engines
and to make trains shorter. In 1909, the Wisconsin Central Railway built a higher bridge over the river. The bridge is 184 feet (56 m) above the river and 2,682 feet (817 m) long, with five steel arches towering above the river.
The Wisconsin Central Railway was leased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway in 1909. In 1961, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, Wisconsin Central Railway
and the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway merged to form the Soo Line Railroad
. After the Soo Line Railroad acquired the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
, they shifted Chicago-Minneapolis traffic to that railroad's superior mainline. In 1987, the bridge and much of the Soo Line's track in Wisconsin became part of the new Wisconsin Central Ltd.. The Wisconsin Central was acquired by Canadian National Railway
on January 30, 2001.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
over the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
between Stillwater, Minnesota
Stillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
and Somerset, Wisconsin
Somerset, Wisconsin
Somerset is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, along the Apple River. The population was 1,556 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Somerset.-Geography:Somerset is located at ....
. It was designed by bridge architect C.A.P. Turner
C.A.P. Turner
Claude Allen Porter Turner was an American structural engineer who designed a number of buildings and bridges, particularly in the midwestern U.S. states of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin....
and built by the American Bridge Company
American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a privately held civil engineering firm specializing in the construction and renovation of bridges and other large civil engineering projects, founded in 1900, and headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.-Products and industry positioning:The...
. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The bridge was the second bridge on a Wisconsin Central Railway
Wisconsin Central Railway
The original Wisconsin Central Railroad Company was established by an act of the Wisconsin State Legislature and incorporated in February 1871. It built track throughout Wisconsin, connecting to neighboring states, before being leased to Northern Pacific Railway between 1889–1893...
line that connected Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....
with Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The line was originally built in 1884. The crossing of the St. Croix River was difficult for the railway, since the original bridge across the river was very low and trains had to contend with a steep grade on either side of the river. This made it necessary to use helper engines
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
and to make trains shorter. In 1909, the Wisconsin Central Railway built a higher bridge over the river. The bridge is 184 feet (56 m) above the river and 2,682 feet (817 m) long, with five steel arches towering above the river.
The Wisconsin Central Railway was leased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway in 1909. In 1961, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, Wisconsin Central Railway
Wisconsin Central Railway
The original Wisconsin Central Railroad Company was established by an act of the Wisconsin State Legislature and incorporated in February 1871. It built track throughout Wisconsin, connecting to neighboring states, before being leased to Northern Pacific Railway between 1889–1893...
and the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway merged to form the Soo Line Railroad
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
. After the Soo Line Railroad acquired the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
, they shifted Chicago-Minneapolis traffic to that railroad's superior mainline. In 1987, the bridge and much of the Soo Line's track in Wisconsin became part of the new Wisconsin Central Ltd.. The Wisconsin Central was acquired by Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
on January 30, 2001.