by Minnesota AgConnection
Bridge View Park opened last month offering one of the few places that Minnesota’s tallest bridge can be viewed in its entirety. Located on the Mesabi Trail less than a mile south of East Chestnut Street in the City of Virginia, the park reveals a spectacular view of the 204-foot Highway 53 bridge that spans across the Iron Range’s deepest open mine pit, the Rouchleau.
“The park is an opportunity to educate local residents and tourists about the significant impact that mining has in our region,” said Beth Pierce, Iron Range Tourism Bureau director. “Mining plays a huge role in how we live, work and play in northeastern Minnesota, and the new park showcases an excellent example of post-mining land use.”
Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the park project with a Laurentian Vision Partnership (LVP) Minescapes grant. The agency’s grant helped pay for fill materials, crushed rock for a walking path to access the park from the trail, interpretive signage and fencing. Other funding partners included Virginia Foundation, City of Virginia, Mesabi Trail, St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority, and Iron Range Association of Realtors.
