(The Sacramento Bee posted the following article on its website on April 1.)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Union Pacific crews finished work early Saturday morning on the second of two rail tracks on a trestle over the American River.
About 1,400 feet of wooden trestle on the railroad’s Sacramento mainline was destroyed by fire March 15.
All of the trains — both freight and passenger — that had been detoured following the fire now are moving on their normal routes, UP spokesman Mark Davis said in a news release issued Saturday. About 50 trains a day use the bridge.
UP crews worked day and night to build a new concrete and steel structure at the site just north of the American River.
The first track reopened for freight traffic last Tuesday – 12 days after the fire.
Davis said the second track was completed at 1 a.m. Saturday.
Trains will travel over the bridge at 10 mph and are expected to resume the original maximum speed of 25 mph within a week.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation.