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The Mintlaw Trestle relative to other bridges
Alberta's largest railway bridges
existing today
1. Lethbridge Viaduct
- longest and highest railway bridge
in North America;
CPR steel trestle 5,327 ft. (1,624 metres) long; 314' tall; built
1909; still in use
2. High Level Bridge Edmonton
 - CPR steel
truss (with trestle component) bridge 2,877 ft. (877 metres) long; 150' tall;
built 1911-1913 over North Saskatchewan River; upper level used for
trains between 1913 and 1989 as well as trams (streetcars) between
1913 and 1951; lower level used for vehicle and
pedestrian traffic that continues today; tram runs periodically
during summer on upper level since 1997 by Edmonton Radial Railway
Society; bridge now owned by Province of Alberta
3. Fabyan Viaduct near Wainwright
- 2nd longest
steel trestle in Canada CNR 2,775 ft. long; 195' tall; built 1908
over Battle River by Grand Trunk Pacific; still in use by CN
4. Rochfort Trestle
near Mayerthorpe
- longest
wood trestle in North America CNR 2,414 ft. (736 metres) long, 110
ft. tall; built
1914 over Paddle River; two short portions replaced by steel; still
in use by CN
5. Mintlaw Viaduct south of Red Deer
 -
longest bridge in Central Alberta; 2nd
longest CPR steel trestle in Alberta 2,112 ft. long; 110 ft. tall;
length includes 2 truss spans over river with wood trestle abutments
on each end; bridge includes 15-75' spans, 15-45' spans and 2-150' truss spans; built 1911-12 over Red Deer River by Alberta Central Railway/CPR;
last train 1981, abandoned 1983; purchased by Red Deer County 2009
for $1
as a heritage site, important landmark and part of possible future
recreational trail; 3rd longest steel railway trestle in Alberta;
3rd longest CPR bridge in Alberta
6. Monarch Trestle
- over Oldman River, 1,890 ft. long; 150 ft. high west of Monarch on
Crow's Nest line built 1908-09
Other railway bridges of note:
 1.
Beaver River Bridge
near Grand Centre
- combination timber trestle, truss and girder 1,485 ft. long;
195 ft. tall, built around 1950 by Canadian National Railways,
abandoned 1999. Now part of the Iron Horse Trail section of the
Trans Canada Trail
2. Entwistle Bridge west of Edmonton
- 2nd highest railway bridge in Western Canada CNR
steel trestle 910 ft. long; 214' tall; built 1910 over Pembina River
by Grand Trunk Pacific; still in use
 3. Ardley Bridge
north of Delburne
- CNR wood and steel trestle
originally 1,500 ft. long;
158' tall; built as wood trestle 1911 by Grand Trunk Pacific over Red Deer River;
washed out a couple of years later and centre portion replaced with
2 steel towers and 3 steel spans; washed out again in 1952; replaced
with 6 steel towers and 3 steel truss spans with wood trestle on
each end and reopened 1955; with fill at each end, current length
closer to 1,200 ft.; still
in use daily by CNR
 4. North Saskatchewan River
Bridge Rocky Mountain House
- 720' long; combination trestle,
truss and girder with concrete piers including 3-75' spans, 3-45'
spans and 2-150' truss spans; built 1911 by Alberta Central
Railway/CPR; leased to Canadian Northern Western Railway/CNR; opened
1914; still
in use by CNR
5. Burbank Bridge
near Blackfalds
- originally a wood trestle north of Red Deer built by Canadian Northern Western
Railway over Blindman River 1910; replaced by steel truss bridge
with wooden trestle ends; original length unknown; with
considerable fill, current length around 620 ft.; still in use by CNR
6. CPR Bridge at Red Deer
- two 150' steel truss
spans and 150' wooden trestle across Red Deer River built in 1908 to replace
the 3-span wooden truss bridge that had been built in 1891; abandoned with rail relocation in
1991; preserved as part of walking and bicycle trail and designated
as both a municipal and provincial historic resource; currently in
use as part of Trans Canada Trail
7. Briggs Bridge near
Red Deer
- wood trestle northwest of Red Deer built by Canadian Northern
Western Railway 1910; about 820 ft., still in use by CNR
Significant
Central Alberta railway bridges no longer in existence:
1. Duhamel Trestle south of Camrose
 - wooden
trestle 3,972 ft. (1,210 metres) long; 120 ft. (32 metres) tall; one
of the longest and highest wooden trestles ever built in the world;
20 km SW of Camrose; built 1910 over Battle River by Grand Trunk
Pacific; dismantled 1924; river crossing shifted to Canadian
Northern (Canadian National) line further east with new connection
built on south side of Battle River
2. Horse Guard River Bridge near Eckville
 - wooden trestle 1,280 ft. long; 80 timber spans ave. 15' plus 80'
steel girder; west of Medicine River crossing; built
by Alberta Central Railway around 1911, timber trestle later
earth-filled; last train 1980, abandoned
1983; little evidence left of bridge (an oddity about the bridge
name is that there is no Horse Guard River and Horse Guard Creek is
several miles to the west.)
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