BNSF Sandpoint Junction Connector

The Sandpoint Junction Connector project exemplifies how a major railroad initiative can positively impact clients, communities, and the environment. Situated on BNSF’s Northern Corridor from Chicago to Pacific Northwest ports, the connector addresses critical congestion issues. BNSF and the project team collaborated to design and construct a second 4,800-foot-long, single-track bridge over Lake Pend Oreille, alleviating train and vehicular traffic congestion in Sandpoint.

Building this bridge adjacent to the active rail bridge over a pristine lake, popular for tourism and recreation, required an innovative, environmentally conscious approach. The team employed bridge-monitoring technology and advanced construction techniques to avoid disrupting the lake, its fish population, and the existing bridge. Remarkably, the project was completed nearly a year ahead of schedule, significantly improving infrastructure capacity.

The project was prominently featured in Railway Track & Structures magazine as its cover story, “Open For Business: Trains are Rolling on BNSF’s New Bridge near Sandpoint, Idaho,” in the January 2023 issue. It was also highlighted at Railway Age’s Next-Gen Freight Rail event on March 14, 2023, in Chicago, where John Cech, BNSF’s vice president of engineering, presented “Uncorking the Funnel: BNSF’s Lake Pend Oreille Bridge.”