TALKING TRAIL

The Sorlie Bridge was built in 1929. It was recognized nationally for its innovative engineering. Engineers in the State’s Bridge Department designed a substructure that accounted for the expansion and contraction of the river bank, including four 38-inch wheels on a track at each end of the structure. The architectural style is known as Parker through Truss. This bridge is not only the oldest of this style in the State, but also the longest with a span of 283ft.

​It was built by the Minneapolis Bridge Company replacing a 40-year old swing bridge on the same site. The earliest river crossings were made by ferry, but a temporary pedestrian bridge was installed to allow for crossings during this new construction. This modern bridge was important to maintaining the flow of transportation along the transcontinental U.S. Route 2 and connecting not only two frontier towns but two States. Like river and rail transportation, road transportation made Grand Forks a regional hub for the movement of goods into and out of the State creating economic prosperity.

​The bridge is dedicated to North Dakota’s 14th Governor and Grand Forks resident, Arthur G. Sorlie who was instrumental in bringing the design of all bridges under the purview of the State’s engineers. A plaque on either end of the bridge notes that he was “a true friend of better roads and bridges”.

Originally from Albert Lea in Minnesota, Arthur Sorlie became a successful business man in Grand Forks owning car dealerships and gas stations, as well as opening a bread factory. His entrée into politics was serving two terms on the Grand Forks City Council. He was elected to Governor in 1924 and died in 1928 while still in office. The Sorlie Bridge was named in his memory the following year. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.