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The Mintlaw Trestle relative to other bridges
Alberta's largest railway bridges
existing today
updated July 2012
 1. Lethbridge Viaduct
- longest and highest railway bridge in
North America (known locally as the High Level Bridge - not to be
confused with the High Level Bridge in Edmonton (see below));
longest and highest steel rail trestle in the world; CPR steel
trestle 5,331 ft. (1,624 m) long; 314' (95.7 m) high; built
1908-09 over Oldman River on Crowsnest Pass line at cost of $1.3
million using travelling crane built on site; relocated route
replaced several wooden trestles including one that was 2,933 ft.
(894 m) long, reduced grade and was over 5 miles shorter than
original route (built 1898); 33-tower bridge consists of 44-67'
spans, 22-99' spans and 1-107' truss span; still in use - approx. 12
trains per day
 2. Fabyan Viaduct near Wainwright
- 2nd longest
steel trestle in Canada CNR 2,775 ft. (846 m) long; 195' (59 m) tall; built 1907-08
over Battle River by Grand Trunk Pacific; originally about 130'
longer but earth filled on one end to reduce length; 26 steel
towers; first train 1909; rest area nearby; scene of derailment in
January 2012; still in use by CN as part of east-west main line
 3. High Level Bridge Edmonton
- CPR steel truss (with trestle component) bridge 2,550 ft. (777 m) long; 157
ft. (48 m) tall;
built 1911-1913 over North Saskatchewan River; 28 spans - 3-288'
Pratt trusses, 7-96' Pratt trusses, 6-47' long steel trestle towers,
2-130' Warren trusses, 4 central concrete piers set in river bed; 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; Great Divide Waterfall 1980; bridge now owned by Province of Alberta;
Municipal Historic Resource
 4. Rochfort Trestle
near Mayerthorpe
- longest
wood trestle in North America CNR 2,414 ft. (736 m) long, 110
ft. (33.5 m) tall; built
1914 over Paddle River; two short portions replaced by steel; still
in use periodically by CN
5. Mintlaw Viaduct south of Red Deer
 -
longest bridge in Central Alberta; 2nd
longest CPR steel trestle in Alberta 2,112 ft. (644 m) long; 110 ft.
(33.5 m) 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. (576 m) long; 150 ft. (45.7 m) high; west of Monarch on
Crow's Nest line built 1908-09 (same line as Lethbridge Viaduct)
7. Peace River Rail
Bridge
- over Peace River at town of Peace River, 1,736 ft. (529 m); built
1918 by Central Canada Railway (later part of Northern Alberta
Railways); 11 spans - 2-70' deck plate girders, 2-80' deck plate
girders; 6-200' deck trusses, 1-200' through truss; still in use by
CNR
8. Clover Bar/Beverly Rail
Bridge
- (depending on side of river, referred to as the Beverly Bridge before Beverly
traffic bridge opened in 1953) over North Saskatchewan River at east
Edmonton, 1,655 ft. (504 m) long, 138 ft. (42 m) high; built 1907-08
iron and concrete truss by Grand Trunk Pacific; still in use by CNR
as part of east-west main line.
Other Alberta 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
- sometimes referred to as the Pembina River Viaduct,
it is the 2nd highest railway bridge on the prairies, CNR
steel trestle 910 ft. (280 m) long; 214' (65 m) tall; built 1908-10 over Pembina River
by Grand Trunk Pacific; still in use - approx. 20 trains per day
 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
8. East Coulee Coal
Bridge
- CPR timber Howe truss combination rail and road bridge over Red
Deer River; originally built in 1936; damaged by ice, flood and
intentional blast in 1948 and rebuilt; abandoned and in poor
condition
9. Prairie Creek (Maskuta)
Bridge near Hinton
- 802' long and 98' high steel trestle built by Grand Trunk Pacific
1911, 6 towers of 50' long girder sections connected by 7-70' girder
sections, abandoned 1916 with rail used for war effort and traffic
using parallel Canadian Northern, rehabilitated 1927 after taken
over by CNR; still in use by Canadian National main line to west
coast and Via Rail.
10. Low Level Bridge
Edmonton
- 699' long Canadian Northern 3-span truss bridge built 1900; rails
added in 1902 and removed 1948; twinned and continues to be used for
vehicle traffic
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.)
3. Trochu Trestle
- wooden trestle about 500 ft. long and 60 ft. high over coulee
south of Trochu; built 1911; filled in with dirt 1932; on active CN
(former GTP) Edmonton-Calgary line
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