Jul 2, 2024:
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| BNSF Railway posted Did you know BNSF’s Bismarck-Mandan rail bridge is older than the state of North Dakota itself? This vital link is getting a modern makeover! BNSF is constructing a new bridge to keep freight moving efficiently and safely across the Missouri River. Read more: https://bit.ly/3zA9Piu |
2020:
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| 1:13 BNSF video |
I captured some of the articles about the controversy of building the replacement on a new alignment so that they old one could be preserved.
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| safe_image for Rail bridge dispute continues "The bridge was completed in 1883 making it almost 140 years old." Dennis DeBruler: 1883 would be the date for the predecessor bridge: This bridge has a date of 1905: However, the piers are from the older bridge. |
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| safe_image for Preservation group working to save historic railroad bridge over Missouri River The 1883 railroad bridge was “crossed in the early years by notables including former presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as Sitting Bull.” |
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| inforum A rendering of proposed changes to the 1883 [actually, 1905] Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge, including a walking and biking path. The group Friends of the Rail Bridge maintains the historic bridge and a new BNSF bridge can coexist. Contributed / Friends of the Rail Bridge |
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| safe_image for BNSF issued final two permits needed for bridge tear down and construction "Tree removal has already begun around the existing bridge. The project is estimated to take four years to complete. The new bridge is estimated to cost $100 million, which is $40 million more than when BNSF started the federal permitting process five years ago." |
Based on a paper written by Ed Murphy of the ND Geological Survey, the railroad (first Northern Pacific, and now BNSF), have had endless problems with the eastern pier of the High Bridge. Just after completion, the east pier began shifting towards the Missouri River at a rate of 3 to 3-1/2 inches per year. A number of repairs were attempted, but none seemed to work. In 1898, the pier was dug out and moved back onto a larger foundation. By 1902, the pier was already 4 inches off center. After further investigation, it was suspected that the city water reservoir located on a hill above the railroad track was leaking large amounts of water, causing the entire hillside to slide towards the river. The NP built a tunnel under the area to try to drain the water, but the pier continued to move. More projects were completed in 1918, 1923, and 1940 to try to slow down the landslide. In 1951, the NP undertook a major project to cut down the hill and regrade the area. This helped the situation by slowing down the movement to 1/3 of an inch per year, but did not stop the movement. [John Weeks III]According to John Weeks, BNSF runs most of their trains over the former GN route. This NP route became busy hauling Powder River Basin Coal. But that traffic is drying up as coal-fired power plants are being converted to gas or shuttered. So the cost of stopping traffic on this route while they replace the bridge might not be high enough to help save the old bridge with a new alignment.
Construction has started. Completion is expected in 2Q2026.
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| BNSF The new spans will be 200' (61m) instead of 400' (122m). |
Sep 17, 2024: Given the access road and cranes on the right side, it appears the bridge replacement is well underway.
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| Steve Mitten posted |
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| BNSF "Expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026, the new bridge will replace the original bridge – but not without preserving pieces of this North Dakotan landmark. Portions of the original bridge were made available for the community to repurpose." |
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