ZACHARY WEIAND
Construction crews are continuing work on the new Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri Riverwith the winter season fast approaching.
Crews working on Pier 7 at the BNSF Railway bridge project have been on double shifts to remove river bottom material from a cofferdam -- a temporary watertight structure built to allow pier construction, BNSF said. Crews are expected to begin nighttime pile driving next week to expedite the process to try to have the cofferdam removed before winter arrives,BNSF spokesperson Amy McBeth told the Tribune.
The work comes as crews are starting to wrap up other parts of the project for the year. On the Mandan side, trucks hauling material for the west side embankment are completed for the season, according to BNSF. The embankment is about 65% done, requiring some additional fill to raise it to the needed elevation to carry the new railroad track. Most of the work on the embankment is expected to be done in 2027.
BNSF said Piers 8 and 9 on the Mandan side are nearing completion, while Abutment 1 and Piers 2 and 3 on the Bismarck side are already finished.
People are also reading…
Crews will continue work throughout the fall (as long as weather allows), break for the winter and resume construction in the spring.BNSF said that in 2025, the work will primarily shift to the Bismarck side of the bridge, where crews will install Pier 4 at the edge of River Road, as well as Piers 5 and 6 in the river.
Prep work for next year's pier construction will begin this fall, impacting River Road and the adjacent bike trail, BNSF Director of Bridge Construction Mike Herzog told the Bismarck Park Board and the City Commission last month. Vehicle traffic will be limited to the northbound lane and controlled with temporary traffic signals. The southbound lane will accommodate bike path traffic, separated from vehicle traffic by a concrete barrier.
A timeline for the impacts has not yet been finalized, but McBeth said it is expected within the next one or two months. She added that the public will be notified once BNSF has a more precise timeline.
"This is an effort that BNSF is looking at to try and keep the trail open as long as we can before the east side (of the project) becomes a very congested and active construction zone," Herzog said at an Aug. 13 meeting with the Bismarck City Commission.
Despite potential bike trail disruption along River Road, BNSF maintains that a river channel will always be open for recreational boaters throughout the entire bridge project.
Background
The new 1,554-foot-long bridge is being built about 30 feet north of the existing bridge. The new structure will consist of 12 spans.Seven concrete spans varying in length from about 70-80 feet will be used for the approach spans -- four on the west side of the river and three on the east. Five steel spans, each about 200 feet long, will be in place over the river.
Train traffic will begin to cross the new $100 million bridge in summer 2026. The existing bridge will then be removed, which could take about a year.
Construction on the new bridge began in June 2023 after BNSF secured all necessary permits following a lengthy battle with Friends of the Rail Bridge -- a citizens group dedicated to preserving the historic structure for repurposing into a pedestrian crossing. A lawsuit filed by the nonprofit was dismissed by the South Central District Court in June 2023, and the decision was upheld by the North Dakota Supreme Court earlier this year.
The existing bridge was built in 1883, with the spans replaced in 1905. It was the first bridge built over the Missouri River in the Bismarck-Mandan area, according to BNSF, predating North Dakota statehood by just over half a decade.
The bridge's legacy will be preserved after BNSF gifted $500,000 last year for a grant program to document the structure's historical significance in the area.
The North Dakota Railroad Museum will receive $5,000 to create an exhibit about the bridge. The Mandan Historical Society willreceive$69,250 to create four videos about the current bridge and the new bridge project. The city of Mandan will receive $196,750 to build a plaza area and welcome signincorporating salvaged pieces of the existing bridge.
The remaining $229,000 will be used for salvaging pieces of the rail bridge that will then be used by the city of Mandan.
Construction updates can be found athttps://bnsfbismarckbridge.com/project-updates/.
Reach Zachary Weiand at701-250-8264 or zachary.weiand@bismarcktribune.com.
0 Comments
'); var s = document.createElement('script'); s.setAttribute('src', 'https://assets.revcontent.com/master/delivery.js'); document.body.appendChild(s); window.removeEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); __tnt.log('Load Rev Content'); } } }, 100); window.addEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); }
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
ZACHARY WEIAND
Reporter
- Author email
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
