Minneapolis BNSF Rail Bridge

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**Minneapolis BNSF Rail Bridge**
A look at the bridge from the north side, from the west bank of the river.
Carries	Two tracks of the BNSF Railway
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Maintained by	BNSF Railway
ID number	A1.3
Design	One truss span, three plate girder spans, and three concrete girder spans
Longest span	171 feet
Total length	550 feet
Width	33 feet, 6 inches
Clearance below	24 feet
Opening date	1893
Coordinates	44°59′16″N, 93°15′57″Wregion:US_type:landmark

Minneapolis BNSF Rail Bridge is a combination plate girder bridge and truss bridge that spans the main channel of the Mississippi River between downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and Nicollet Island in Minneapolis. It was built in 1893 by the Great Northern Railway and remodeled in 1926. In 1963, two of the girder spans and a pier were removed, and a Petit truss span was added in its place. This was done to allow upstream navigation past St. Anthony Falls for barges. The Petit truss design is unusual for the Mississippi River and is one of three on the island (Boom Island and Nicollet Island Inn bridges are Petit truss spans, too).

The south side of the BNSF bridge

The south side of the bridge has an unusual protrusion coming out of it. There was once a curved bridge coming off the end going to the Minneapolis Union Depot. When passenger service was discontinued from downtown Minneapolis and West River Parkway was built, the curve and the trackage going to the Union Depot was removed.

Bridges of the Mississippi River
Upstream Plymouth Avenue Bridge	Minneapolis BNSF Rail Bridge	Downstream Hennepin Avenue Bridge

[edit] References

Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.