Minnesota River Bridge across the Minnesota River at Franklin for sale for one dollar

The Brown County Highway Department in New Ulm announced Tuesday it is selling a steel truss bridge near Franklin for the low, low price of one dollar.

The historic bridge carries a gravel road over the Minnesota River in rural Brown and Renville Counties. Built in 1918, Bridge 2110 is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It is Minnesota’s most important surviving example of a pre-1925, standard-plan, Warren pony truss bridge designed by the Minnesota Highway Department. At 80 feet long, the bridge’s Warren pony trusses are Minnesota’s longest surviving examples of this particular truss type.

Measuring only 18 feet wide, the bridge must be removed to make way for a new bridge wide enough for modern farm equipment. The county hopes the old bridge can be reused in a park, trail system, or similar setting.

Brown County Engineer Wayne Stevens said, “The bridge is in fair condition and a good candidate for relocation. It needs rust removal, other minor repairs, and a new coat of paint.”

The new owner must pay for moving the bridge and constructing a new deck and substructures at the new location. Brown County is accepting Letters of Interest until June 30, 2021.