Final EIS released for BNSF bridge across the Missouri

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
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Bruce Kelly

The Coast Guard announced the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed replacement of the BNSF Railway Bridge across the Missouri River between Bismarck and Mandan, N.D.

This final EIS evaluates the potential environmental consequences of permitting the replacement of the existing BNSF railway bridge across the Missouri River between the cities of Bismarck and Mandan, N.D., or the construction of a bridge adjacent to the existing bridge. The applicant proposed to remove the existing structure, which is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Coast Guard analyzed proposed alternatives, through the NEPA and NHPA processes, which included alternatives to construct the new bridge while retaining the existing bridge. The Coast Guard is making the final EIS available to the public. Section 4.0 of the final EIS identifies the preferred alternative, which is to construct a new bridge with 200-ft spans, and piers 20 ft upstream of the existing bridge, and to remove the existing structure.

Over a year ago, RT&S reported that the efforts to save the existing bridge suffered a setback when the Friends of the Rail Bridge, an organization dedicated to saving the existing bridge, and the Burleigh County Commission could not work out a liability insurance arrangement.

Read the Final EIS for this project.

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