CN/WC Arcola High Bridges over St. Croix River

(Bridge Hunter (has several construction photos below John's photos), Historic Bridges, John Weeks III, Satellite)

Technically this is not an arch bridge. Judging from this construction photo, it is a cantilever bridge. But I also labeled it as an arch bridge to make it easier to find.

Photo from Bridge Hunter, Public Domain: Published Prior to 1923

Jordan Palmer posted two photos with the comment:

Wisconsin Central Bridge at Arcola, Minnesota then and now. Built in 1884 by Union Bridge and Iron Works it was part of WCs route from Chippewa Falls to St. Paul. The original bridge was removed on February 28 1916 following replacement with the Arcola Highbridge completed in 1909. First photo is from Minnesota Historical Society, second one is mine from several years ago.

Harvey Henkelmann commented on Jordan's posting
And here is it's famous replacement

Digitized by Google

Jordan Palmer posted two photos with the comment:

Couple more shots of my favorite bridge, the Arcola High Bridge, aka the Soo Line or Wisconsin Central Higbridge. The bridge stands roughly 185 feet above the St Croix River below at normal water level, and has five arches each roughly 300' long, plus approach trestles on each side stretching the bridge to nearly 1/2mile total length. The first photo is from a river trip nine or ten years ago now, and the second is from September of last year when I was finally able to catch a train rumbling across it. The Arcola High Bridge is now nearly 110 years old, and replaced the original Arcola crossing just down river 3/4mile that was built in the 1880s removing the long steep grades on both sides of the river as the original bridge was only about 70' above the river.