Kootenai River Bridge - Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 48° 41.879 W 116° 18.743
11U E 550597 N 5394110
This is a very busy railway bridge crossing the Kootenai River near downtown Bonners Ferry, as the railway makes its way north and the river makes its way west.
Waymark Code: WMM4MY
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 07/20/2014
Views: 2
Though the Great Northern Railroad was the first to arrive in Bonners Ferry, in about 1892, it was quickly followed by the Northern Pacific, then the Spokane International. Now it's anybody's guess as to who built this bridge, and when. It is now part of the Union Pacific's line, but was likely at one time a part of one of the earlier railroads, all of which were taken over by the Burlington Northern (BNSF) or sold piecemeal to the Union Pacific.
The Kootenai is pretty wide here, requiring a pretty long bridge. This one is a steel girder bridge of about 750 feet or so in length, resting on a series of nine concrete piers in the river. This bridge is actually a good train watching spot, as it's on the Union Pacific's main line here.
Coordinates given are at the south end of the Highway 95 bridge, about a quarter mile east, which is a good vantage point for this bridge.