Bridges Monthly Update #1

26 April 2006

 

MAJOR YEAR FOR BRIDGWORK!!

 

The two properties will be spending nearly $5 million in Capital on bridge rebuilds and repairs in 2006.  This is over twice the historical average that was spent in the bridge departments in the past.  There will be six Company crews and as many as four contracting crews working at one time on the two properties.  There will be 4 major projects, two on each property, and several other lesser projects over the course of the year that will be summarized in the spot below:

·        Bridge 1500, the Missouri River Bridge at Pierre SD, is the focal point of this year’s Bridge Capital program.  This project involves redecking the entire 2,200’ of this structure as well as laying new 136# 80’ rail across the bridge and around the curves that extend off each end of the structure.  The project was started in early March and is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.  This project is being done totally with DM&E forces with Shaun Johnson’s Pierre B&B crew leading the major effort and Jamie Stark’s crew from New Ulm Minnesota assisting when needed.

·        On the IC&E we were plagued late in 2005 by a bridge near La Crescent Minnesota that had serious sub structure problems that caused settling of the bridge as well as line problems.  This resulted in a 10mph slow order at the location of Bridge #K716 while design work for the repairs was completed and material ordered.  An E-80 crew with a big help from the IC&E locomotive crane and pile driver and operator Dave Maines repaired this structure in the first quarter of 2006.  The bridge now has had the slow order removed and is again good for 286,000# loading at the track bulleting speed.

·        Another major project on the IC&E that was completed by the E-80 contracting crew in late March was that of bridge # S-542 at MP 8.5 on the Owatonna sub.  This complete rebuild will enable this structure to handle unlimited 286,000 # loading and will solve a 10 MPH slow order problem in the area.

·        The final major bridge project is the approach spans for bridge #1659 near Nowlin South Dakota where a different E-80 crew is driving pile and placing concrete ballast tubs to repair a 60 span bridge approach that was lost in a fire late last year.  This entire project is scheduled to be completed before the end of the 2nd quarter of 2006.

·        There will be several other significant projects that we will report on as the year goes on.