The railway line from Weywertz to Jünkerath, opened by the Prussian government in 1912, was built out of military interest to connect the Elsenborn military training area to the railway. A total of 12 bridges were required for the route in the area of the municipality of Bütgenbach. The Bütgenbach viaduct was the most important structure on the route. With its six arches, a height of 30 metres and a length of 104 metres, the viaduct connected the side valleys of Kolberg and Burgfelder.
During the First World War, the bridge was almost blown up by a Russian spy in 1916. Another unsuccessful attempt at demolition was made in 1940 by the Belgian military. It was important that this strategically important railway line did not fall into the hands of the advancing Wehrmacht. The demolition was able to be thwarted by a German special unit.
When the Wehrmacht withdrew from Belgium, all bridges were eventually destroyed. On 13 September 1944, a German command blew up two pillars of the Bütgenbach viaduct. The Belgian railway operator SNCB repaired the viaduct and in March 1946, trains once again rolled over the restored bridge. In May 1952, the Weywertz-Jünkerath route was then closed to passenger traffic.
Freight traffic, especially wood and coal, was maintained until the early 1980s. From 1982, the route was closed. In October 2004, the last train, a special tourist trip with railcars, passed the viaduct.
The tracks were removed three years later and since 2014, cyclists and hikers have been able to enjoy the view over the Warche valley between Kolberg and Burgfeldern on the Ravel L45a.
