The Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge crossing the Missouri River has been an indispensable part of our community for 140 years. Similarly, the current project to build a new bridge will shape our community for generations to come.

The time is now for the Governor of North Dakota, and federal, state, and local officials, to demand due diligence in the federal permitting process. North Dakota leadership must stand up for what is right for North Dakota economic development, recreation, and heritage tourism.

This new petition asks leadership to stand for our community in the following ways:

• Stand for what is right for downtown Bismarck. Increased rail traffic through downtown Bismarck may result in millions of dollars of lost value and revenue, and require mitigating infrastructure that could outweigh even the cost of a bypass alternative. This critical impact must be fully publicly vetted before a new bridge is approved. This impact has not yet been a part of the public consultation on this project.
• Stand for our riverfront development by enhancing and connecting the existing riverfront trails and parks. Preserving the historic bridge and converting it to a pedestrian walkway adds potentially millions of dollars in value through heritage tourism and recreation. Any investment in conversion and maintenance will pay dividends for generations.
• Stand for our publicly owned resources. When North Dakota joined the union, it joined on equal footing with the other states, and was transferred ownership of the riverbed. The rail bridge was built as the linchpin in the northern transcontinental railroad, commissioned by Congress’ 1864 Land Grant creating the Northern Pacific Railway Company. This act granted the company the right to build and maintain a railway across the Missouri River, but it did not grant real estate title to the navigable waterway or the riverbed. This means the bridge belongs to the people of North Dakota.

It is easy to envision the historic bridge incorporated into an extensive riverfront development network for future generations to cherish and enjoy. Let’s make the plan to do this while also meeting the railroad’s need to build a new bridge.

Stand for Our Community. Stand by Our Bridge.