Montana Rail Link Yellowstone River Bridge -- Billings MT
N 45° 47.750 W 108° 28.276
12T E 696522 N 5074473
The truss bridge over the Yellowstone River now owned by the Montana Rail Link Railroad.
Waymark Code: WMK12D
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2014
Views: 1
This bridge was completed by the Northern Pacific Railroad as part of its transcontinental link with St. Paul MN. Once the NP was merged with the Burlington Route in 1970 to form the Burlington Northern RR, BN owned the bridge. In 1987 the Montana Rail Link Railroad took over this bridge from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe RR.
This bridge was completed by the Northern Pacific Railroad as part of its transcontinental link with St. Paul MN. Once the NP was merged with the Burlington Route in 1970 to form the Burlington Northern RR, BN owned the bridge. In 1987 the Montana Rail Link Railroad took over this bridge from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe RR.
From the WikiMapia website: (
visit link)
"Montana Rail Link crosses the Yellowstone river on this railway bridge.
The rail line through Billings was part of the Northern Pacific's mainline connecting St. Paul with the Pacific Coast ports of Seattle and Portland, completed in 1883. MRL took over operation of the line during October 1987.
There were a total of 10 railroad lines built across the Yellowstone River, of which 5 remain in use."
The bridge is easily viewed from First Street North, AKA the I-90 business rout, but the best views are from the Billings River walk, a hike and bike trail along the Yellowstone River. Blasterz think this is a modern bridge (10 years old?) using the 1880s pilings of a former bridge. It is very well maintained, and looks practically new.