Persistence pays off: Lutsen Trailbreakers celebrates completion of Poplar River Bridge
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, community members and representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Cook County Chamber of Commerce, Northland Consulting construction, and the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club gathered to celebrate the completion of a multi-year and nearly $500,000 bridge replacement project.
In spring 2022, the Poplar River Bridge, a well-used bridge on the C.J. Ramstad/North Shore State Trail, was destroyed in a flood. The absence of the bridge for nearly three years has been substantial as 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.
Poplar River Bridge Prior to the Spring 2022 Flood
After discovering the bridge replacement did not qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding, Sharon Hexum-Platzer, the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club president, embarked on a nearly three-year mission to secure funding and the necessary permits to reconstruct a bridge.
Throughout the past three years, the Lutsen Trailbreakers applied and were awarded grants from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, federal funding, and received donations from Polaris, Yamaha, the Cook County RidgeRiders Snowmobile Club, and other regional clubs.
The total cost of the bridge replacement project was $492,500, a significant undertaking for a small all-volunteer snowmobile club. With the continued determination of Hexum-Platzer and community members, the Lutsen Trailbreakers reached the funding goal.
“Some people might have thought it was impossible,” Hexum-Platzer said. “It just takes a little longer to get the impossible done.”
The fruits of the volunteer snowmobile club’s efforts to replace the bridge with the support of various stakeholders came to life on Feb. 18 as they gathered for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event. Months shy of the three-year mark, Hexum-Platzer and the stakeholders finally had the chance to see and walk across the 65-foot-long collaborative accomplishment.
“For once, I was almost without words,” Hexum-Platzer said. “I was so appreciative of them being there in a way to honor that work that all of them did.”
New Poplar River Bridge | Photo by Kalli Hawkins
Sharon Hexum-Platzer cutting the ‘ribbon’ on the new bridge | Photo by Kalli Hawkins
Hexum-Platzer said she received a lot of hugs during the Feb. 18 gathering, either because it meant the nearly three-year project was finally completed or “they were also impressed.”
Kevin Johnson, the Minnesota DNR Two Harbors Parks and Trails supervisor said, “It was great to see everyone show up for this event in the middle of the woods, with representatives from just about all the agencies and stakeholders involved.”
Johnson said the bridge replacement was a “huge collaborative project that the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club took on.” The former bridge sat on State and Federal land, and coordination between the two agencies “was key.”
“This project would not have been possible without everyone helping along the way,” Johnson said. “Sharon is a rockstar. She worked hard for several years to get this project completed. She would not take no for an answer.”
While it required significant commitment and determination to secure funding and permits and overcome numerous obstacles throughout the bridge replacement project, Hexum-Platzer said she learned a lot throughout the process and is ready to tackle another project for the snowmobile club.
With the project now finished, Hexum-Platzer said she thanks the Lutsen Township for the continued support, Polaris and Yamaha for the grant funding, and numerous other stakeholders involved in this project.
More photos from the Feb. 18 gathering are below:
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins attended the Tuesday, Feb. 18 ribbon-cutting event and spoke with Sharon Hexum-Platzer afterward about the significance of the project and more. The audio from the interview is below.
Kalli Hawkins February 21, 2025
