Snowden Lift Bridge

Completed in 1913 by American Bridge, the Snowden Lift Bridge project consisted of the construction of a 1,121’ vertical lift bridge over the Missouri River connecting Roosevelt and Richland counties in Snowden, Montana. The piers were sunk using the pneumatic process and founded on rock 50’ below the water level. The bridge includes three 275’ trusses and a 296’ movable Parker Truss, which was modified in 1926 to support both rail and vehicular traffic. This shared use continued until 1977, when a separate vehicular bridge was constructed. Although the lifting mechanism was last used in 1935 and removed in 1943, the bridge—originally built for the Great Northern Railroad (now BNSF)—remains in active rail use today.