The BNSF Railway Co. is seeking environmental permits for a $100 million project that would add a second railroad bridge across Lake Pend Oreille, at Sandpoint, Idaho, for the purpose of easing rail congestion.

BNSF Railway spokeswoman Courtney Wallace says the project, called the Sandpoint Junction Connector, would involve adding a new mainline track west of the existing BNSF mainline that runs for about a mile over the northwest arm of Lake Pend Oreille with its north landing on the south edge of Sandpoint.

Wallace says Sandpoint, about 70 miles northeast of Spokane, is where the BNSF Railway traffic meets up with Montana Rail Link, with trains from both railroads traveling over Lake Pend Oreille via a single-track bridge.

“Our proposal is to build a parallel bridge next to the current structure to help manage the traffic we currently have as well as planning for future traffic needs,” she says.

In order to proceed, Wallace says the project needs to be approved by three regulatory agencies: the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and the Idaho Department of Lands.

She says BNSF submitted a joint application for the project in December, and it’s in the public comment period now.

The Idaho Department of Lands held two public hearings on the project earlier this week, one in Ponderay, Idaho, and a second in Sandpoint.

“If the project is approved, once we have the permits in hand, we can begin the first phase of construction,” Wallace says. “We’re not sure yet what that will look like, but we anticipate this could potentially be a three-year construction process.”

Some community leaders and area environmental groups have expressed concern for the project, as current rail traffic along the route carries everything from crude oil and chemicals to passenger traffic over the lake.

When asked about environmental concerns, Wallace says BNSF is working to limit impacts to the environment and has provided extensive details on its planned mitigation efforts in the project’s joint application.

She says those efforts include adjusting the design of the new bridge over the lake to reduce nearshore impacts from 5 acres to 1.5 acres and dovetailing with projects already underway in the Lake Pend Oreille watershed. The efforts also include initiating a consensus-based group of resource agencies and stakeholders to address mitigation of potential impacts to fish and working with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game on construction timing to accommodate anglers and fish management activities.

She says the project also would add new bridges alongside those BNSF currently has in place at Bridge Street in downtown Sandpoint and at Sand Creek, near the city’s central business district.

“The single track causes a ripple effect with traffic in other areas getting backed up, as trains wait their turn to cross,” she says. “Adding a second track will keep freight moving more efficiently, as well as helping traffic to flow more easily.”

Wallace says BNSF is proposing the second bridge to meet future demand for freight and passenger needs, which are expected to continue to increase.

“We need to make sure our current rail lines are moving efficiently,” she says. “Amtrak trains also use this route, so a second track will enable their passenger trains to move more effectively as well.”

She adds that BNSF has been considering the project for about four years, but timing and finances for it are just now starting to align.

“We had other priorities, but now is a good time to begin getting this project underway,” Wallace says. “We estimate the project will cost upwards of $100 million, but it’s all private investment by BNSF; no taxpayer dollars are involved.”

She says the Sandpoint Junction is a critical part of the BNSF’s northern tier route, which includes Spokane and connects the upper Midwest region with Pacific Northwest ports.