Sorlie Memorial Bridge

Sorlie Memorial Bridge

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 and East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

The Sorlie Memorial Bridge replaced a swing bridge on the same site that was constructed in 1889. It is a Parker through truss bridge with two truss spans and rides on rails to accommodate the ever-changing banks of the Red River of the North.

The Sorlie Memorial Bridge was named for North Dakota's 14th governor, Arthur G. Sorlie. At the time, the bridge was the only vehicular crossing in the area, and was important for carrying U.S. Route 2, a transcontinental route.

It is the oldest documented Parker truss design in the state, and its two spans of 283 feet (86 m) are the longest riveted Parker through trusses in the state.

Location

Grand Forks, North Dakota
USA

Getting There

The Sorlie Memorial Bridge is a bridge that spans the Red River and connects Grand Forks, North Dakota, with East Grand Forks, Minnesota. It is a vehicular bridge and there is no public transportation that goes directly to the bridge. However, there are several bus routes operated by the cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks that run near the bridge. From Grand Forks, you can take the Route 5 or Route 7 buses, and from East Grand Forks, you can take the Blue Line or Green Line buses. You would need to get off at the nearest stop and walk to the bridge.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in North Dakota that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.