RATHDRUM - The public is invited to attend a meeting for the Highway 41-Highway 53 BNSF railroad bridge replacement project at Rathdrum City Hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

An overview of the project will be available for the public to provide comments and ask questions.

"When completed, it will be a great connection for the city to both sides of town," said Brett Boyer, city administrator. "It's something that needs to be done."

The current three-span bridge was built in 1936. It is 126 feet long and 44 feet wide, with a pair of 12-foot wide driving lanes and a five-foot bike/pedestrian path.

The new bridge will be a single-span structure, 207 feet in length and nearly 74 feet wide. It will include four 12-foot lanes and 10-foot, shared-use paths on either side of the bridge. The additional span length can accommodate two additional railroad tracks.

The average daily traffic count for the bridge is 12,200 vehicles and is expected to nearly double over the next 20 years. Burlington Northern railroad operates 30 to 50 trains daily.

Construction is anticipated to begin next summer and be completed by fall 2013. It was originally expected to start in two or three years.

There will be lane restrictions and delays during construction, but traffic will continue on the bridge during the project.

"It may take longer to build, but it would devastate the town to close it," Boyer said.

The estimated construction cost is $6.2 million. It would be constructed using funds from Bridging the Valley, a safety project that will eliminate at-grade railroad crossings from Spokane to Athol, and federal funds. The city will not be required to pay for a match.

Another Bridging the Valley project in Rathdrum that will create an underpass at Mill Street and cost an estimated $12 million will not be constructed in the near future due to the lack of funding.