MidlandMike kgbw49 What permitting is going to be required to replace the bridge? ... My recollection of a RR bridge taken out by a flooded river somewhere down south maybe a year or so ago, was that minimal permitting of emergency repairs to an existing bridge did not slow the repair down.
kgbw49 What permitting is going to be required to replace the bridge? ...
My recollection of a RR bridge taken out by a flooded river somewhere down south maybe a year or so ago, was that minimal permitting of emergency repairs to an existing bridge did not slow the repair down.
Virtually ALL bridges (and the rest of the track structure) between New Orleans and Mobile were destroyed in Hurrican Katrina in September 2005. Bridges and the railroad were repaired and placed back in service in March 2006. I have no idea what if any permitting had to be obtained to rebuild everything through the wetlands that is the general characteristics all the are between the two point was - but it certainly didn't delay the rebuild.
Local comments were that CSX had its property rebuilt and back in operation before the state and Feds had even issued contracts to repair US 90 and I-10 that sustained damages in the same area.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
kgbw49What permitting is going to be required to replace the bridge? ...
What permitting is going to be required to replace the bridge?
If this has to go through years of permitting before replacement is allowed, will it even be feasible to detour trains from Laurel up to Great Falls and then reopen Great Falls to Helena?
https://mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/planning/maps/railmap.pdf
The reason this throught occurred to me is because MRL-BNSF dodged an artillery shell because of the nature of the loads that ended up in the river.
If those loads had been hazardous and there had been a fish kill or other such event, it would have gotten East Paletine-type coverage.
And that thought has surely already occurred to the legal counsels at the various advocacy groups
I guess we will see how things play out.
No surprise, really, as it emerges:
This site used to be known as Twin Bridges, because there were two parallel spans of the same fundamental construction, one rail, one road. The road bridge was removed in 2021 because...deep scour undermined two of the piers.
Record flooding on the Yellowstone in 2022.
Combine this with high water again at the time of the failure. A supposition that some are at pains to discredit is that MRL ceased inspection or maintenance of the bridge pier foundations because of the pending turnover to BNSF. It certainly seems strange that MRL would not have recognized that what befell the 'other twin' might concern their bridge as well.
The question now becomes how is BNSF going to handle this need to detour trains that will no longer to use this route. This is going to effect many subdivisions and crew districts. As well MRL will have a surplus of crews and shortage on other crew districts.
How is this going to effect the Builder with obvious congestion on some of BNSF's route?
When the bridge piers were built what was the standard for installing the piers on the bottom? What kind of river bottom is at this location? rock, sand, silt. lava, etc ?
This one is going to be one hell of a mess to clean up.
I'd wonder if the missing pier had been subject to scouring from last year's floods that made it easier for this year's high water to "finish" the job.
Another article with photos from different angles including a drone camera broadside shot of the whole span if you scroll down far enough.
Also the very last photo shows what looks to be the west bridge pier also with a sever list.
https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/train-derailment-causes-water-facility-plant-shutdowns-in-yellowstone-county
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Noting that there is one vertical bridge pier missing in the photo, I'm going with high water washing out the pier.
Ed
That was my question as well. Certainly cannot see the pier on any pictures but still not 100% sure? If pier gone then what?. Make a span that runs from existing piers Might be too heavy for those piers? Cannot imagine how to replace pier with the high water flow?
Has BNSF taken over yet, or will the repair be on MRL?
Thought while mowing+++++ Since this is earthquake region could it have been that the earth moved enough to have support piers no longer supporting bridge? A quick check will probably eliminate this speculation.
Question not answered in either article. Did the train derail causing the bridge to collapse OR did the bridge collapse causing the derailment.
Pictures indicate water running only a few feet beneath the track level. Scour of a bridge pier?
Anyone know details?
Train derails into Montana's Yellowstone River | Fox Business
Its MRL is this the main line? BNSF will probably jump in.
Yellowstone River bridge collapse causes train derailment by Billings (usatoday.com)
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