Western Wisconsin trail bridge destroyed in fire

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A trail bridge in western Wisconsin was a total loss after a fire last week.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Monday announced that the Tank Creek Bridge, around three miles east of Trempealeau on the Great River State Trail, was closed due to damage from a fire on May 15.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, DNR officials said.
The bridge was originally built in 1957 as a railroad bridge for the abandoned Chicago-Northwestern railroad line and is more than 200 feet long, officials said.

Due to the location of the bridge, there is no reroute in place, officials said. A timeline and budget for replacement hasn’t been created yet, officials added.

The DNR will work to remove bridge debris as safely and quickly as possible, officials said. The public shouldn’t try to access the structure, officials added.

There are 21 bridge structures and more than 3,100 feet of bridges on the Great River State Trail, officials said. Most of the bridges are 100-year-old railroad bridges, officials added.

The trail is 24 miles long with a crushed limestone surface and extends through the upper Mississippi River valley connecting Trempealeau and Onalaska, officials said. The trail connects to the La Crosse River Trail to the south, officials added.