Dan Patch Line Bridge
CSAH-34 Minnesota River Crossing
Bloomington, MN to Savage, MN
| • Structure ID: |
N/A. |
| • Location: |
River Mile 15.3. |
| • River Elevation: |
691 Feet. |
| • Highway: |
Former CSAH-34, Former MN-100. |
| • Daily Traffic Count: |
Closed To Auto Traffic. |
| • Railroad: |
Canadian Pacific Railroad. |
| • Daily Traffic Count: |
0 Trains Per Day. |
| • Bridge Type: |
Center Pivot Swing Bridge. |
| • Length: |
489 Feet (Estimated), 260 Foot Swing Span (Estimated). |
| • Width: |
One Rail Crossing, Formerly Two Traffic Lanes. |
| • Navigation Channel Width: |
103 Feet. |
| • Height Above Water: |
20 Feet. |
| • Date Built: |
1908. |
Claim to fame: bridge was closed to automobile traffic after kids
playing with matches set the structure on fire.
The CSAH-34 bridge was closed to traffic in
the mid-1980's after kids playing with matches lit the structure on fire.
The highway part of the bridge was deemed too expensive to fix, but the
railroad part was saved and is still in operation. Given the proximity
of the I-35W river crossing and the then planned Bloomington Ferry Bridge,
this river crossing is seen as unneeded, so no new bridge has been
proposed.
This rail line was known as the Dan Patch Line when it was built in the
early 1900's. Dan Patch was a famous local race horse that broke the
2-minute mile barrier, a feat that was unmatched for 50 years. Dan Patch
was owned by M. W. Savage. The city of Savage is named after this famous
horseman. Savage also founded the International Stock Food Company was
well as this railroad.
Today, the rail line is operated by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. While
the rail route is still intact, there has not been a train run over this
bridge in at least 10 years. The swing span is locked in the open
position to allow river navigation traffic to pass.
A gate now blocks off the road leading to this former Minnesota River
crossing. The entrance road has been made into a cul du sac, lined with
very expensive townhomes.
A dead end sign left over from the period after the bridge fire, but
before the road was blocked off and turned into a cul du sac.
A view of the entrance road to the bridge. It is still in relatively
good condition despite 15 years of disuse. The trees and grass are
starting to take over. Notice the guard rail off in the weeds.
A view of the railroad track as it descends the river bluffs down
to the bridge. This line is no longer heavily used. In fact, local
railfans tell me that there has not been a train on this bridge
since the late 1990's.
A stop sign on a rail road line is an unusual site. The bridge is
maintained in the open position all the time except when a train is
coming. That allows water traffic to move freely, and the occasional
trains are handled manually. Note the red device sitting on the rail
towards the left side of the photo. That is a derailer device. If
a train fails to stop, this metal device will kick the train off of
the track rather than letting it plunge into the river.
Here is a view of the north approach to the bridge, looking where
the traffic lanes once paralleled the rail line. The traffic lanes
were a wooden and steel structure hung off of the side of the bridge.
The rail section of the bridge is mostly steel. When the bridge
burned, the traffic lanes were mostly destroyed, but the rail line
was relatively undamaged. The traffic lanes were removed, and the
rail line was repaired.
The gate on Vernon Road leading to the south end of the bridge. The
bridge is still about a half mile beyond this point. The rail line
that crosses the bridge parallel this road just off to the left side
of the photo. The rail line that crosses the road in this photo is
a main line track that runs east and west through Savage. It crosses
under the tracks that lead to the bridge.
Here is an aerial photo of the Normandale river crossing taken from
Google Earth. The view is from an altitude of about 6000 feet. Highway
13, the main highway through Savage, runs along the bottom of the photo.
Here is a clip from
a 1987 Official Twin Cities highway map. The map shows the Normandale
Crossing where CSAH-34 crosses the Minnesota River inside the black circle.
Press
here to view the complete map.
Here are two views from maps.live.com, the photo above is looking north,
while the photo below is looking east.
Two more views from maps.live.com, the photo above is looking south,
while the photo below is looking west. Both photos appear to be taken
during the spring given that leaves have not come out yet, and the
water level is high.
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Photo and text by John A. Weeks III, Copyright © 2005, all rights reserved.
For further information, contact:
john@johnweeks.com