The replacement of the “pink bridge,” the U.S. Forest Service bridge on the 600 Road that crosses the Temperance River near the Sawbill Trail in Tofte is well under way. Top: New beams have been laid and at press time Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. is laying the decking. Above left: The old bridge, originally built in 1913, practically crumbled as it was being taken out. Above Right: Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. crane operators deftly removed the old and installed the new bridge pieces.
The replacement of the “pink bridge,” the U.S. Forest Service bridge on the 600 Road (Forest Road 166) that crosses the Temperance River near the Sawbill Trail in Tofte is under way.
The bridge had been monitored by Superior National Forest (SNF) zengineers for years and in 2014 it rwas determined that the bridge was no longer safe for the passenger cars, logging trucks, and commercial vehicles that commonly drive the 600
Road.
According to Forest Service spokesperson Kristina Reichenbach, the old bridge crossing the
Temperance River had put in a long life of service but has deteriorated over the years and did not meet current safety standards. The bridge was built with a truss section that was originally part of a State of Minnesota bridge built in 1913. After that state bridge was disassembled, the Forest dService obtained the used truss in r1935 and installed it in its current elocation along with a second concrete span to provide a crossing over the
Temperance River. The Forest Service has progressively lowered the load limit for the bridge until, in fall of
2014, the bridge was closed except to foot, snowmobile and ATV traffic.
The new bridge, constructed entirely of timber components fabricated in Minnesota, is being installed by Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc.
At press time the old bridge had been removed and the beams were in place on the new bridge with decking being installed.
The Forest Service designed the new bridge with aesthetics in mind as well as safety. Wood parts will be treated and metal parts will be burnished to present a rustic, weathered design that fits with the surroundings. The cost of the new structure is
$600,000.
Reichenbach explained how SNF was able to get funding for the new bridge, stating, “Superior National
Forest managers had annually requested funds to replace the bridge over the past few years and finally this year we were successful. This is part of the Forest Service continually prioritizing available funds.”
Reichenbach said the SNF engineers s tell her the project is on track sto be finished no later than the end of
October 2015.
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