The Sorlie Memorial Bridge, also known as the Red River Bridge was built in 1929 by the Minneapolis Bridge Company to connect the cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...

 and East Grand Forks, Minnesota

East Grand Forks, Minnesota

-K-12:The East Grand Forks School District enrolls over 1,000 students and operates two elementary schools , Central Middle School, and East Grand Forks Senior High School. There are also two private Christian schools. Sacred Heart School is a Roman Catholic elementary, middle, and high school...

. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1999.
The Sorlie Memorial Bridge replaced a swing bridge on the same site that was constructed in 1889. It is a Parker through truss bridge

Truss bridge

A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...

 with two truss spans and rides on rails to accommodate the everchanging banks of the Red River of the North

Red River of the North

The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...

. The Sorlie Memorial Bridge was named for North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

's 14th governor, Arthur G. Sorlie

Arthur G. Sorlie

Arthur Gustave Sorlie served as the 14th Governor of North Dakota from 1925 until his unexpected death in 1928 at the age of 54.-Background:...

. Plaques on either end identify Sorlie as "a true friend of better roads and bridges." At the time, the bridge was the only vehicular crossing in the area, and was important for carrying U.S. Route 2

U.S. Route 2

U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...

, a transcontinental route. It is the oldest documented Parker truss design in the state, and its two spans of 283 feet (86.3 m) are the longest riveted Parker through trusses in the state.

Further reading

• Mark Hufstetler. Historic Roadway Bridges of North Dakota, National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission. National Park Service
  National Park Service
  The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
  
  , December 10, 1996

External links