Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club celebrate replacement of the Poplar River Bridge, expected this winter

The past two years have been challenging for the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club as they have worked to replace the Poplar River Bridge, a well-used bridge on the C.J. Ramstad/North Shore State Trail, which was destroyed in a spring flood in 2022.

After years of grant writing, fundraising, and securing permits, the nonprofit is excited to see the fruits of its labor finally pay off.

The new Poplar River Bridge is being assembled and expected to be installed later this winter.

Poplar River Bridge Prior to the Spring 2022 Flood

Lutsen Trailbreakers is working with Duluth-based Northland Consulting to design and install the new 65-foot-long bridge. Lutsen Trailbreakers President Sharon Hexum-Platzer said the bridge components will be hauled to the site in November or December and installed in January or February.

The total cost of the bridge is $492,500. A significant price tag for a small volunteer nonprofit. To help cover the cost of the bridge, Hexum-Platzer applied for an Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation grant, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources grant, and a federal grant. The nonprofit also received donations from Polaris, Yamaha, the Cook County RidgeRiders Snowmobile Club, and other regional clubs. And last but not least, small donations from individuals helped fill in the gaps, Hexum-Platzer said.

Hexum-Platzer said the absence of the bridge for the past two years has been significant. Many snowmobilers travel the C.J. Ramstad/North Shore State Trail each winter and have had to find other routes. The bridge also serves as a multi-use connector for hikers and bikers in the summer.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Lutsen Trailbreakers President Sharon Hexum-Platzer for a full update on the project and the nonprofit’s extensive work over the past two years. The audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins September 19, 2024