Mayer South Fork Crow River Bridge

Mayer, Minnesota

The GN’s Hutchinson Spur was originally built 1885 from Hopkins, (off of the St. Paul and Pacific’s Lake Minnetonka cutoff, which later became GN) to Hutchinson. The line went through Minnetonka, Minnetrista, St. Bonifacious, Mayer, New Germany, Lester Prairie and Silver Lake before Hutchinson.

2 years prior, in 1883, the StPM&M began extending and relocating their Minnetonka Cutoff route even further. Before they knew it, it would be at Watertown South Dakota.

This route operated until 1900, when a new route that went through Lake Minnetonka was built. It started in Wayzata, and weaved through Lake Minnetonka until it got to St. Boni, where it followed the same line. The line From Hopkins to St. Boni was cut down to the Hopkins Spur.

St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway became Great Northern in 1907

This line saw 1 or 2 trains a day up to 1970, where the Great Northern merged with Northern Pacific to form Burlington Northern. Burlington Northern would operate this line until 1985, when they would lease it. A person named Jerry Ross would buy the line, and a few F units and slugs and name is company Dakota Rail incorporated.

Dakota Rail operated freight trains, and quite often dinner trains. They did very well . People enjoyed riding on tracks that had their roots to 1881. The nice part was, you could go from a suburban area, to the lake, then to the country in 44 miles. But, Dakota Rail would get purchased by RailAmerica in 1995.

RailAmerica struggled with the line. By 2000, they couldn’t bring more traffic to the line. The last train left Hutchinson for Wayzata in July 2001. The line was quickly purchased by Hennepin, Carver and Mcleod counties. It sat rotting until 2005, when the ties and rails were pulled out. It then became an overgrown grade.

In 2008, work began on a trail from Wayzata, to St. Boni. It followed this route. It was completed by mid-July 2009. It was then named the Dakota Rail Trail. It quickly gained popularity. One big reason were the 2 large trestle and through plate girder bridges at lake Minnetonka. Another was the fact that it was paved, unlike the Minnesota River Bluffs and Lake Minnetonka Trails, which both follow former Minneapolis & St Louis grades.

Carver County continued the work on the trail from St. Boni. But before that, they needed to build bridges over Hwy 7 and County 92. Highway 7 is just a dangerous road, but County 92 had a bridge originally. The trail was started 2010. There was an old trestle over Donders Creek that needed to be replaced. And one over a creek that needed to be converted. By May 21st 2011, the trail was continued to Mayer, stretching 8 more miles from St. Boni. It goes through farmlands, and near lake Waconia.

The trail is set to be in Lester Prairie by 2013, with work starting 2012. Then, it will be extended to Hutchinson. One thing is for sure, people love the trail. There is another bridge that could become iconic over the South Branch of the Crow River between Mayer and New Germany. Carver County decided to keep all the historic signs like mileposts in. This trail is only getting started. It will become even more popular.
11/05/11

This bridge is very unique. It consists of wood piers, deck plate girder spans and trestle approaches.

Going from East to West, this bridge is designed like this:

2 Spans Trestle
1 25' Deck Plate Girder
1 70' Deck Plate Girder
1 25' Deck Plate Girder
3 Spans Trestle

The trail currently ends over 1 mile away from this bridge. This bridge can be accessed by taking County 30 from the trail end.

This bridge is about 1/2 way between Mayer and New Germany.

Large signs are at both ends of the bridge, as an attempt to keep people off.

This bridge has also seen some big floods. In the Spring flooding of 2011, this bridge had water almost to the girders.

After this bridge is a trail, it will become part of the Group consisting of the Seton Channel Bridge and the Arcola Trestle. The Arcola Trestle is the jewel of the Hennepin County part.

None the less, this bridge will become the jewel of the Carver County portion.

Construction is set to begin in 2012 on this part. When I was here the second time, I noticed that the weeds had been trimmed.

The photo above is looking at the bridge from a landing normally underwater.



The photo above is looking east towards the bridge. The photo below is looking west away from the bridge.






The photos above and below are looking east across the bridge.






The photos above and below are looking east along the bridge.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking at the west approaches.






The photo above is looking at pier #3. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photos above and below are looking at span #3.






The photos above and below are looking at span #3.






The photo above is looking at span #2. The photo below is looking at the eastern half of the bridge.






The photo above is looking at span #2. The photo below is looking at span #3.






The photo above is looking at span #2. The photo below is looking at pier #3.






The photo above is looking at the eastern portion of the bridge. The photo below is looking at the west appraoches.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking at pier #3.






The photo above is looking east along the bridge. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at the west approaches. The photo below is looking east along the bridge.






The photo above is looking at almost the entire structure. The photo below is looking at pier #4.






The photo above is a transition bent. The photo below is looking at pier #3.






The photo above is looking inside span #3. The photo below is looking east along the bridge.






The photo above is looking at all 3 main spans. The photo below is looking at span #3.






The photo above is looking at span #s 1 and 2. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at a bent on the west approaches. The photo below is looking east along the bridge.






The photo above is looking at span #3. The photo above is looking east along the bridge.






The photos above and below are looking east towards the bridge.






The photos above and below are looking east across the bridge.






The photo above is looking west away from the bridge, towards New Germany. The photo below is looking at the west approaches.






The photo above is looking at span #3. The photo below is looking at pier #3.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at pier #2. The photo below is looking at span #1.






The photo above is looking at pier #2. The photo below is looking at the east approaches.






The photo above is looking west along the bridge. The photo below is looking east away from the bridge, towards Mayer.






The photos above and below are looking west across the bridge.






The photo above is looking at the east approaches. The photo below is looking west along the bridge.






The photo above is looking west towards the bridge. The photo below is looking east away from the bridge






The photo above is looking at the east approaches. The photo below is looking at span #1.






The photo above is looking at pier #1. The photo below is looking at pier #2.






The photo above is looking west along the bridge. The photo below is looking at the 70' mainspan, span #2.






The photo above is looking at pier #1. The photo below is looking at pier #2.






The photos above and below are looking at span #1.






The photo above is looking at pier #3. The photo below is looking at span #3.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at pier #3. The photo below is looking at pier #4.






The photos above and below are looking east along the bridge.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking at the underside of the west approaches.






The photo above is looking at pier #3. The photo below is looking at pier #4.






The photo above is looking at pier #3. The photo below is looking east along the bridge.






The photo above is looking at span #3. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at the eastern portion of the bridge. The photo below is looking at the entire bridge.






The photo above is looking at span #2. The photo below is looking at span #3.






The photos above and below are looking at bracing in span #3.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking east along span #2.






The photos above and below are looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at span #3. The photo below is looking towards span #1.






The photos above and below are looking at span #2.






The photos above and below are looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at the east side of thhe bridge. The photo below is looking at the west approaches.






The photo above is looking at pier #4. The photo below is looking at span #2.






The photo above is looking at pier #2. The photo below is looking at pier #4.






The photo above is looking at a bent on the west approaches. The photo below is looking east along the bridge.

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