The Thomas Rukavina Memorial Bridge carries U.S. 53 over the Rouchleau Mine pit connecting Virginia, Minnesota with other cities to the south.

[3] This bridge carries a traffic volume of about 22,200[4] cars per day, making it one of the most-traveled highway segments on the Iron Range.

The bridge also features a bike lane and pedestrian walkway that leads to trails connecting Gilbert and Virginia.

The two owners of the land notified MnDOT of their intent to mine the site in 2010 which gave the state until 2017 to move the roadway.

To prevent the need to move the bridge in the future, the state purchased the mineral rights for the land beneath roadway for $15 million.