The 1,142 foot plunge from the Kicking Horse Pass to the Kicking Horse River bed was originally made on a 4.5% grade known as the “Big Hill”. Originally intended to be temporary, it lasted 25 years. In 1909 it was replaced by the Spiral Tunnels.
The original bridge over Divide Creek, which flowed from the pass to the river, was a Howe truss deck structure. This was replaced by a steel and masonry structure, which still stand beside the Trans-Canada Highway that today follows the original grade of the Big Hill.