The $US46 million Plattsmouth Bridge project, which connects Plattsmouth, Nebraska and Pacific Junction, Iowa, quietly opened for business on December 4.

It replaces a bridge built in 1879 and renovated in 1903. The first bridge will remain in place and will still be used to carry empty trains.

The 1900-foot-long, 45-foot-high Plattsmouth Bridge was two years in the making; design was completed in 2011 and construction took place during 2012-13.

“For this project, constructing a new bridge was more cost-effective than restoring the existing bridge,” project engineer Mike Schaefer said.

“Over the past century, we've seen tremendous improvements in construction and materials, such as steel and concrete.”

The project also presented challenges during permitting, when numerous permits were required by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Coast Guard and the states of Iowa and Nebraska.

BNSF has 32,500 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces.

The Texas-based railroad hauled more than 2.2 million coal shipments last year.