This bridge is the southernmost of two bridges in the causeway that make up the Minnesota state highway MN-119 crossing over the Minnesota River. MN-119 is located at the northern extent of Lac Qui Parle, the lake that backs up behind the Lac Qui Parle Dam. This particular bridge crosses the historic Minnesota River main channel.

The bridge is a very simple design that can be quickly erected. The process starts by using a pile driver to pound in 4 rows of steel tubes. The row of tubes on each end of the crossing is used to support the abutments, which are made from redimix concrete. The two rows of tubes in the middle of the river are cut off and a concrete box is built around the top of the tubes. From here, steel beams are placed from the abutments to the piers, and between the piers. A plywood form is built between the beams, and the bridge deck is poured. One the deck is set enough to support equipment, the guardrails are formed an poured. The abutments are backfilled, metal guardrails are installed, and some landscaping finishes off the project. An experienced crew can install a bridge in this manner in as little as 8 weeks.

Note—these two photos show an old bridge pier sitting just upstream from the current river crossing. I have not been able to determine exactly what this pier is. It might be from the river crossing that was replaced when the current 1977 bridges were built. The second possibility is that this was part of the pre-1940 river crossing that was flooded when the Lac Qui Parle Dam was completed. The final possibility is that this is part of an old railroad bridge, possibly the BNSF Watertown Subdivision line that was flooded out in 1940 and moved to a new alignment.