Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Historic Bridges

Bridge 5132

Bridge 5132

Bridge 5132

History and significance

Bridge 5132 is a barrel-vaulted concrete arch bridge that carries State Highway 61 over the Cascade River about nine miles southeast of Grand Marais, Cook County. It was designed by the Minnesota Highway Department and constructed in 1931 by Starbuck Construction Company. A stone overlook wall, known as the Cascade River Overlook (now Cascade River Wayside), was built over the top of the bridge in 1934-1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Cascade River Wayside was listed in the National Register as a significant roadside development on State Highway 61 that dates to state’s early construction and improvement of the scenic highway. Bridge 5132 is a contributing resource to the Cascade River Wayside Historic Site.

Rehabilitation activities

Bridge 5132MnDOT rehabilitated Bridge 5132 in 2014. Rehabilitation efforts included replacing the non-historic bituminous deck surface with a more appropriate concrete surface, improving guardrails, and replacing the railing to meet current safety standards. To keep the look, design, and feeling of the original historic railing, MnDOT designed the new railing with a reinforced concrete core and reused the original stone on the facing. The original railing height was maintained by lowering the bridge deck.


Location

City of Grand Marais (Cook County)
Latitude, Longitude: 47.70715469, -90.52280767