Hi-Line Railroad Bridge

The Hi-Line Railroad Bridge is a railway crossing in Valley City that spans the Sheyenne River valley on steel towers. The structure allows trains to cross the valley on a level route without facing steep grades.

The Northern Pacific Railroad completed this bridge in 1908 to solve the challenge of moving trains through the valley efficiently. It became a key link in the national rail network that connected regions across the country.

This structure stands as a landmark that shaped the region's identity and represents the engineering ambitions of the early 1900s. It connects the community to a broader story of rail expansion across the nation.

The bridge remains active with regular freight train traffic, so stay clear of the tracks when visiting the area. The best views come from below in the valley, where you can see the entire structure and how it spans the landscape.

The structure required roughly 14 million pounds of steel and about 380,000 rivets, each one fastened by hand. This labor-intensive construction shows the enormous effort invested in early engineering projects of this scale.