Beltrami Co Highway 19
Mississippi River Highway Crossing
Near Bemidji, MN

Beltrami Co Highway 19

• Structure ID: NBI 04514
• Location: River Mile 1281.5
• River Elevation: 1,339 Feet
• County: Beltrami
• Highway: Beltrami County Highway 19
• Daily Traffic Count: 2,050 (2003)
• Bridge Type: Concrete Girder
• Bridge Length: 183 Feet, 61 Foot Longest Span
• Bridge Width: 41 Feet, 2 Lanes
• Height Above Water: 13 Feet
• Date Built: 1984
It is interesting to note that this bridge is built from precast concrete girders, yet has a blacktop surface. The story is that this was a new concept in building rural bridges where the bridge needed to go up fast, such as cases where it was not practical to build a temporary bridge or the detour route was simply too long. The bridge itself is made out of T-shaped girders placed side by side such that the horizontal tops of the T's are fit tightly next to each other. This creates a solid surface. The bridge is then blacktopped and is ready for traffic. There is no need to wait for concrete to cure, other than at the abutments and the tops of the piers. The railings can then be installed after one lane of traffic is open.

The CSAH-19 bridge is located just a few miles north of Bemidji on the eastern edge of Lake Bemidji where the Mississippi River exits the lake and flows towards the Stump Lake Dam. This bridge has the honor of being the northern most highway bridge to cross the Mississippi River. The state trail bridge just west of here is at the same latitude, so both bridges share this feature in common. The highway 19 bridge replaces the 1915 era Riverside Highway Bridge.


Beltrami Co Highway 19
Beltrami Co Highway 19

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Photo and text by John A. Weeks III, Copyright © 2006, all rights reserved.
For further information, contact: john@johnweeks.com