Mintlaw Viaduct, Railway bridge over Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada
The Mintlaw Viaduct is a steel and wooden railway bridge that spans the Red Deer River in central Alberta, consisting of multiple trestle sections with varying heights. The structure connects two river banks and features long spans designed to carry trains across the gorge below.
Construction started in 1911 under the Alberta Central Railway, and the Canadian Pacific Railway completed the bridge as a steel and wooden structure in 1912. The crossing remained in active service for many decades as a key rail route through the region.
The viaduct became a county landmark after Red Deer County acquired it in 2009, marking its importance in the region's transportation story. The structure represents a piece of railway heritage that residents recognize as part of their local identity.
The bridge is no longer in active use and is best viewed from the river valley below, where you can see its full height and span. Access to the surrounding area is generally open, allowing visitors to walk along the banks and observe the structure from different angles.
The bridge ranks among the longest structures of its kind on Canadian Pacific Railway routes and attracted preservation efforts from local groups. Its value lies more in representing early railway development through river valleys than in any engineering breakthrough.
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