Skip to content

Northern Pacific Bridge #9 Traditional Geocache

This cache has been archived.

joukkusisu: I was out doing our annual spring maintenance checks and I discovered that someone had installed a security camera right above the hide! I used to personally know some of the security monitors and UMPD, and the response rate with the security cameras are pretty good. I don't want anyone to get in trouble retrieving this cache, so good time to shut it down. On a positive note, it's nice to see the bone yard has finally been removed from the river flats.

More
Hidden : 5/28/2008
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

No need to go over the railing.
Street parking nearby on the West Bank by the student housing.
Bring a camera; great views!

Claim to fame: Northern Pacific Bridge #9 is an abandoned railroad bridge that has found new life as a bicycle path, one of two former railroad bridges in downtown Minneapolis to be reborn.

According to the historic marker, the Northern Pacific Railroad and the University of Minnesota worked to grade separate the U of M foot and vehicle traffic from street level rail traffic. A trench was dug through the U of M. Bridge #9 was built to connect this trench to downtown Minneapolis. Bridge #10 was built next to #9, but it was torn down after these two bridges were removed from service in 1981. Bridge #9 survived, and was reopened as a bicycle path in 2000.

The first river crossing in this area was opened in 1885. It was rebuilt in 1917. In 1922, the railroad was relocated to the north of the University Campus in a sunken trench. At that time, the old bridge was removed, and rebuilt on this new lower alignment. Bridge was remodeled in 1955, with the last train crossing in 1981.
--from John Week's
Bridges and Structures of the Major Rivers of Minneapolis and St.Paul
Retrieved from (visit link)

The bridge also offers excellent views of both the I-35 bridge reconstruction to the North and of the old I-35 bridge boneyard to the South.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)