The Soo Line High Bridge, also known as the Arcola High Bridge, is a steel

deck 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. A viaduct (a ...

over the St. Croix River between

Stillwater, Minnesota Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River, across from Houlton, Wisconsin. Stillwater's popula ...

and

Somerset, Wisconsin Somerset is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, along the Apple River. The population was 2,635 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Somerset. History Somerset was named by General Samuel Harriman after his fathe ...

, United States. It was designed by structural engineer C.A.P. Turner and built by the

American Bridge Company The American Bridge Company is a heavy/civil construction firm that specializes in building and renovating bridges and other large, complex structures. Founded in 1900, the company is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pitt ...

from 1910 to 1911. The bridge was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1977 for its national significance in the themes of engineering and transportation. It was nominated for its exceptional dimensions, beauty, innovative engineering techniques, and importance to transportation between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

History

The bridge was the second bridge on a Wisconsin Central Railway line that connecting

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,778 in the 2021 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa Cou ...

, 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 steep grades on both sides 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 above the river and 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 The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and S ...

. After the Soo Line Railroad acquired the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, it 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 The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I railroad, Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern United States, M ...

on January 30, 2001.

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places 1911 establishments in Wisconsin 1911 establishments in Minnesota Bridges completed in 1911 Railroad bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Railway bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin Buildings and structures in St. Croix County, Wisconsin Transportation buildings and structures in Washington County, Minnesota Open-spandrel deck arch bridges in the United States National Register of Historic Places in St. Croix County, Wisconsin Railroad bridges in Minnesota Railroad bridges in Wisconsin Soo Line Railroad Transportation in St. Croix County, Wisconsin Viaducts in the United States Steel bridges in the United States Bridges over the St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota)

History

See also

References

External links