These photos show the remains of an old bridge that once crossed the north channel of the Saint Louis River at Cloquet. It appears that this was a road bridge that would have been used along with the old Main Street Bridge as the one and only Saint Louis River crossing in the city of Cloquet. I have not yet learned the dates when this bridge was built or removed. It appears that the current MN-33 expressway bridges are replacements for earlier bridges on the same alignment, so these bridge remains would have been from and even older time period. If I had to guess, I would suggest that this bridge might have been built around the turn of the century, it survived the 1918 fire, and was removed in the late 1940s.

The photo above is looking northwest towards the bridge ruins from the sidewalk on the north span of the MN-33 expressway bridge. Both abutments and the center pier is visible. The photo below is a closer view of the south bridge abutment. It is now used as a fishing pier.

These two photos are also views from the north span of the MN-33 expressway bridge. The photo above is the mid-channel pier. The Upper Dunlap Island Bridge is visible in the background. The photo below is the north bridge abutment.

The photo below is looking north across the river channel from the south bank of the river. The photo below is looking south across the river. Note that the leading edge of the mid-channel pier is angled to help break up ice that might lodge against the pier.

These two photos are about 4 years older than the photos above, and are taken in early summer as opposed to early autumn. The photo above is looking north across the river from the south bridge abutment, while the photo below is looking northwest towards the old bridge pier and north abutment from under the northbound span of the MN-33 Bridge.