Even though this is a rails to trails project and is currently a bike trail. I have noticed that new bridges put in place over the trail seem to have increased or better rail clearances than the bridges they replaced. The latest to bridge the line was Union Pacific (ex-C&NW Milwaukee Belt Line) with their in part WisDOT funded replacement bridge over I-94. Their new bridge seems to be slightly higher than the bridge that was replaced.......could be an optical illusion because I only did a cursory compare while driving past on I-94.
Has anyone else noticed this with rails to trails projects that once they are a trail new bridges over the bike path seem to maintain or better the former rail clearances (hieght and width). Wonder if it is just a Wisconsin thing or if that goes on in other parts of the country.
In Northern Michigan near Cadillac, the state highway dept. needed to replace a steel bridge overpass (it rusted out from all the salt they use here on the roads) over the ex-GR&I rails-to-trail. They replaced with a cement box culvert not much bigger than the bikes that go thru it. They also lowered the road grade over it.
Several years ago, the former CA&E Bridge (part of the Prairie Path) over the C&NW at Wheaton was raised about a foot and a half (maybe more) to allow a more generous clearance for double stacks.
Any reason why Elm Grove to Wawatosa wasn't added to the 2005 rail trail when it abandoned in 2009 (about another mile could have been added to the west end)?
mudchicken Any reason why Elm Grove to Wawatosa wasn't added to the 2005 rail trail when it abandoned in 2009 (about another mile could have been added to the west end)?
Now commuters can enjoy the daily rush-hour on a very crowded I-94 with its bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic, then when they get home they can ride on the bike trail, getting a wonderful view and the full-bodied aroma of the industrialized areas of Milwaukee. Brilliant!
zardoz mudchicken Any reason why Elm Grove to Wawatosa wasn't added to the 2005 rail trail when it abandoned in 2009 (about another mile could have been added to the west end)? Probably the same reasoning that went in to turning the old TMER&L ROW into a bike trail rather than constructing a light-rail line. Now commuters can enjoy the daily rush-hour on a very crowded I-94 with its bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic, then when they get home they can ride on the bike trail, getting a wonderful view and the full-bodied aroma of the industrialized areas of Milwaukee. Brilliant!
Probably the same reasoning that went in to turning the old TMER&L ROW into a bike trail rather than constructing a light-rail line.
In Memphis, there was a CSX line that ran from roughly the midtown area, East to a dead end at LENOW (Tn); into an area that was a small industrial complex.
It was originally the NC&StL Mainline that had been truncated back to Lenow via segmented abandonments ( from, in Jackson,Tn. area).
At some point back in the 1990's it had been completely reworked, by CSX; with new ties, and [ IIRC ], CWR (?) There was some discussion about turning it into a light rail line corridor, to the eastern side of the county; to be bought up, by the local Transit Authority (?).
It was one of those 'good ideas' that never seemed to gain favor with the local, political class...So it died, and the local governments are having to create higher capacity road networks to carry heavier and heavier loads....
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