Alex LaBeau: Support Sandpoint junction connector

Trade plays a critical role in our world, and especially in our state. We depend on an efficient supply chain to move the goods we all use every day – from the food we eat to the cars we drive to the clothes we wear.

Some of the goods, such as timber and agricultural, are produced right here in Idaho. And these goods are exported to markets both in the U.S. and around the world. Likewise, we import thousands of goods every year that help make our lives better.

These goods move on trucks, planes, trains, ships and barges. To ensure the smooth and efficient movement of these goods, it is critical that the supply chain is as efficient as possible. BNSF Railway, one of the largest freight railroads in the country, is looking at investing upwards of $100 million of its own money to help relieve a transportation chokepoint in north Idaho.

Currently, BNSF operates a one-lane bridge over Lake Pend Oreille. This bridge moves both passenger and freight trains, and it is also the point where several rail lines come together and converge into a single track. Trains must stop and wait when the bridge is occupied.

This creates a bottleneck and causes trains to hold in either direction. This lack of fluidity causes significant traffic delays both for train traffic and for Idahoans who are experiencing longer wait times at crossings as trains move slowly through. This ripple effect is a headache not only for the consumers who depend on the goods moved by rail, but also the local citizens who are waiting for a train to move at a crossing.

To help alleviate this bottleneck, BNSF is proposing to build a second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille, which would be adjacent to the existing rail bridge. This project will improve BNSF operations in the region, benefiting Idaho shippers, consumers and local residents. When the project is completed, trains would run in both directions across the bridge, reducing the need for engineers to slow down or stop as they wait for clearance to cross.

This is a win-win for the state of Idaho. We get the benefit of world-class rail infrastructure that is privately funded. It also provides businesses that rely on rail with a safe and efficient way to get their raw and finished products to market. BNSF’s forward thinking will help to ease issues now and into the future.

We know the population will continue to grow and demands for goods will rise as well. That increases the pressure to ensure that our supply chain is as efficient and robust as possible. Having a strong freight rail system is vital to our future. Just one of BNSF’s double-stacked container trains is able to take 280 trucks off the road. This second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille will help to ensure that all goods are moved as efficiently as possible.

There are people who are opposed to the project because of coal and oil trains. The truth is that much of what is transported over the bridge are consumer products and agricultural products. If there is a market demand for a good, it will go by rail. This goes beyond the opposition to a single commodity; stopping this important infrastructure impacts us all.

This is an important project not only for Idaho, but for all of the Pacific Northwest. We support this bridge proposal as a strong investment in our future.