Since we’ve all got bridges on the mind these days, I thought I’d mention one that has been around for over 125 years in one form or another: the Northern Pacific Railroad bridge, just slightly north of our beloved Memorial Bridges. Built in 1882, it didn’t always have rounded spans and has seen quite a bit of work where it meets the hill on the Bismarck side. The hill moves, and so do the piers. In fact, that part of the bridge has seen some hefty work even in my short lifetime.

It also makes a pretty good sightseeing point when they blow up the Memorial Bridge too, I guess! This guy sat idling for about a half an hour on Monday morning to watch the demolition of the west span of the humming bridge. I guess union membership DOES have its benefits on occasion!

The new Memorial Bridge really is cool, despite not having a walkway on the north side for people who want to enjoy the view. However, with the old Memorial Bridge going bye-bye for good, we have only the Northern Pacific bridge to grace the river with its historic appearance and arched spans. Perhaps the sentimentality local residents showed toward the Memorial Bridge will shift toward the NP bridge, although most of Bismarck-Mandan’s citizens have never crossed it. We do love our landmarks, don’t we?