BNSF issued final two permits needed for bridge tear down and construction

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - There has been a heated debate over whether the rail bridge that spans the Missouri River between Bismarck and Mandan will be repurposed or demolished. For now, it looks like that debate is over after the North Dakota Department of Water Resources issued two permits to BNSF.

The waters of the Big Muddy are clearing as spring arrives, just like the fate of the rail bridge that spans the historic river.

BNSF says it has now obtained all the permits and approvals to go tear down the bridge and build a new one.

“We were disappointed with the rulings from the Department of Water Resources,” said Friends of the Rail Bridge President Mark Zimmerman.

Friends of the Rail Bridge say they are happy they got a chance to voice their opinions on the matter at the hearings. And they are still looking at other options to save the structure.

“We wanted to exhaust all the administrative steps that were available to us; that is where these hearings came in. Now that those steps have all been completed, we are going to look at what legal action might be possible for Friends of the Rail Bridge,” said Zimmerman.

In a statement, BNSF said a new bridge will benefit “North Dakota’s major industries as well as the nation’s supply chain.” They expect construction to ramp up this spring and summer.

The Department of Water Resources said it reviewed all application materials but did not state what the deciding factors were when issuing the permits.

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.

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