Mission Railway Bridge, Railway bridge in Mission, Canada

The Mission Railway Bridge is a railway bridge spanning across the Fraser River, connecting Mission and Abbotsford in British Columbia. It is made of steel with 13 concrete piers and has a swing mechanism that allows boats and ships to pass through when needed.

The structure was built in 1909 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and replaced an earlier wooden bridge from 1891. That first bridge served as the only crossing of the Fraser River in this area and was in use for many years.

The bridge shows the industrial development of British Columbia and connects agricultural communities on both sides of the Fraser River. It shaped how the region grew and how people moved goods between these areas.

The location is easy to reach and offers viewpoints from the shore where you can watch the bridge and the river landscape. The best time to visit is during the day when the light shows off the structure and the surroundings clearly.

The bridge marks the end of the Fraser's tidal bore: downstream, the river is increasingly influenced by tides from the Georgia Strait. Beneath the north abutment sits a river-level gauge read during the annual Fraser freshet. The swing span, atop the tenth concrete pier from the north bank, clears 4.9 metres when closed.