(The following story by Christinia Crippes appeared on The Hawk Eye website on April 25, 2009.)
BURLINGTON, Iowa — Construction on replacing the BNSF Railway swing span bridge in Burlington could begin as early as November.
“It’s 100 percent wrench-ready,” said Paul Nowicki, assistant vice president of BNSF Railway Co. “It’s a wrench project, not a shovel project.”
Nowicki, U.S. Rep Dave Loebsack, D-Mount Vernon, and area stakeholders came together in front of Burlington Memorial Auditorium Friday afternoon to celebrate that the project — which will double the width of the navigation channel — will soon be under way thanks to stimulus funds.
“This has been a project and a dream for many, many years,” Des Moines County Supervisor Jeff Heland said.
Word came down April 17 that $28.7 million in stimulus funds has been delegated to the bridge replacement. With the funds the federal delegation has secured over the years, the total amount raised for the bridge is $55.5 million.
The estimated cost has increased to about $56 million, though Nowicki explained the federal government puts in 90 percent of the cost, with the railway making up the remaining 10 percent.
Nowicki said the hope is to let bids for the project in late spring, award the contract in mid-summer and start work in November or December. The estimated time frame for completion is about two years.
“That’s going to bring some excellent jobs to our community for extended periods of time,” Greater Burlington Partnership President Dennis Hinkle said.
Nowicki said bids will be accepted from across the nation, so not all the estimated 100 to 200 jobs will originate in the southeast Iowa region. However, he said many employees will call Burlington home for portions of the construction period.
“It’s a classic stimulus project, really,” Nowicki said.
When he heard about the stimulus legislation, Loebsack said, there was a number of projects that he thought about, but “this was the one that came to the top.” Loebsack said his top three requests remained flood recovery efforts, but the bridge came next.
Nowicki said estimates are that the longest bridge closure during construction of the lift-span bridge will be 72 hours.
When a barge struck the bridge last May, rail traffic was prevented from crossing for 35 hours, backing up about 100 trains.
That barge, though, was a breakaway and became wedged beneath the east end of the bridge. The swing span is on the west end. Still the accident demonstrates the bridge’s importance.
The long-discussed bridge project has been targeted since the U.S. Coast Guard found that it ranked third among bridges most often struck by barges. Between 1992 and 2001, the bridge was struck 92 times.
While the project touted Friday includes just the replacement of the swing-span part of the bridge, Nowicki said BNSF has plans to replace the entire bridge.
“We are eager to get this done, believe me,” Nowicki said. “We’re just in the process of looking at different options out there to finish this portion of the project.”
That portion carries an estimated cost of $120 million, though Nowicki said the financing for the project has not been determined.
Nowicki also offered a quick history lesson, explaining that the first railroad bridge opened here in 1868.
“When it opened, the bridge designer said it is sufficient enough for all time,” he said. “He was partially right.”
He said there have been improvements along the way, but the initial masonry piers from 1868 remain.
In fact, even as the improvements are made this time around, the same masonry piers will still support the bridge. Even more impressive, he said, back in 1868 there were generally just 15 to 20 cars in a train. Now, a train weighs 140 tons split among about 130 cars.
Nowicki said that when the entire bridge is complete, it will have less curvature, which will allow trains to cross the bridge at twice the current speed and reduce the squealing sound of the wheels.
Loebsack said, however, it is unfortunate that it took an economic decline for the funding to become available.
While most of the thanks were reserved for Iowa’s senators, Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin, and Loebsack, there also was recognition of President Obama’s administration.