Moose Line Road Bridge
NF-130 St. Louis River Highway Crossing
Hoyt Lakes, MN

Moose Line Road Bridge

• Structure ID: NBI: 090901000001007
• Location: River Mile 168.0
• River Elevation: 1,464 Feet
• Highways: NF-130
• Daily Traffic Count: 52 (1990)
• Bridge Type: Steel Girder, Concrete Deck
• Bridge Length: 61 Feet, 61 Foot Longest Span
• Bridge Width: 24 Feet, 2 Lanes
• Navigation Channel Width: Non-Navigable
• Height Above Water: 8 Feet
• Date Built: Built 1958, Reconstructed 2006
Moose Line Road, also known as National Forest Road #130, is the main north-south forest road though the western part of the Superior National Forest. The road appears to be upgraded from an old logging road or logging railroad. It is well graded and features a relatively smooth gravel surface. The road is used for a snowmobile trail in the winter months.

The bridge is a very simple structure. It is built by placing large metal I-beams across the gap between the abutments. The gaps between the beams are filled in with plywood supported from the bottom, resulting in a flat smooth surface. Workers then poured a six-inch thick concrete deck over the beams. To finish off the ridge, steel railings are attached to the edge of deck. While this construction method is a little too light duty for a US-highway or Interstate highway, it is perfect for low traffic situations that supports very little truck traffic.

The St. Louis River is very interesting looking at this location. The riverbed is filled with large black rocks. The water flows between the rocks and is only rarely visible. The result is that the river looks like a large lava flow, much like what one might see in Hawaii or the desert southwest.


Moose Line Road Bridge
Moose Line Road Bridge
Moose Line Road Bridge

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Photo and text by John A. Weeks III, Copyright © 2008, all rights reserved.
For further information, contact: john@johnweeks.com