It was in about 1887 that this line was built by the CPR, in order to connect Kootenay Lake with the Castlegar-Trail area. At each end of the line, freight and passengers were transported by paddlewheelers on the Arrow Lakes to the west and Kootenay lake to the east. Eventually the lines were completed to both the east and the west, connecting this section of line with the Kettle Valley Railway (west) and the Crowsnest Pass line (east).
Notice that this bridge has one pier built of rock and one of concrete. It would seem that the concrete pier would be a replacement for the original stone pier. This replacement would most likely have taken place in 1904, when this bridge was built to replace the original 1887 Howe truss and trestle bridge. Apparently the remaining stone pier was deemed good enough to last a few more years, and it has. The centre span is a deck truss span of 50-75 metres, flanked by a pair of steel girder extensions, each about half the length of the centre span.
BTW - there's a Benchmark on this bridge, 474J, "in west face of coping of west stone retaining wall at south end of bridge".
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