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Another low clearance RR bridge to bite the dust

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Another low clearance RR bridge to bite the dust
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 8:22 PM

LIRR is replacing a low clearance   ( ~ 10 ft ) on Oyster Bay branch starting this weekend.  Adding 4 ft clearance to bridge that was hit 7 times in 2017,  Wonder if track will needs raising as well ?.

https://www.rtands.com/track-structure/bridge-retaining-walls-tunnels/lirr-plans-to-replace-129-year-old-bridge-on-oyster-bay-branch/ 

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 9:01 PM

blue streak 1
LIRR is replacing a low clearance   ( ~ 10 ft ) on Oyster Bay branch starting this weekend.  Adding 4 ft clearance to bridge that was hit 7 times in 2017,  Wonder if track will needs raising as well ?.

https://www.rtands.com/track-structure/bridge-retaining-walls-tunnels/lirr-plans-to-replace-129-year-old-bridge-on-oyster-bay-branch/ 

If the track isn't raised - trains will come to a sudden stop at the new bridge.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by seppburgh2 on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 9:21 PM

For further viewing enjoyment, lets not forget about the original 11 foot 8 inch RR bridge:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k319Qfm01A

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, October 4, 2018 7:23 PM

The run offs on that change of grade ought to be fun, especially if there are other bridge structures/ retaining walls/ drainage ways nearby.

(and of course they can't drop the road?) Anybody wanna bet that there are bootlegged utilities in there that nobody can explain?

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, October 4, 2018 8:27 PM

An engineering firm on the bridge project can be reached here:

https://aiengineers.com/services/design-build-services/buckram-road-bridge-replacement

An interesting detail is that the replacement was apparently preassembled on site, and the entire replacement (the new bridge is said to be just one span!) done between the 5th and the 9th.  Stories I see don't indicate if the new bridge is being installed parallel to the old one, with shoofly embankment having been made to the new track level while the old bridge continues in service, but I think that is the way I would do it to avoid service outage while providing the necessary rise in what I expect will be a ballasted-deck replacement that is not a tight-clearance through plate girder construction.

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 5, 2018 10:15 AM

From MTA press release: The new bridge has been built off site. On October 5-9, crews will decommission and remove the old bridge and move the new one into position and affix it into place..........
Full train service will resume at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, October 9. 

As I understand it, there is no shoofly planned. The new bridge is placed were the old ones were.

Here is a link to the MTA Capital Program 2015 - 2019, Long Island Railroad:

www.buildingcongress.com/uploads/pdf/MTA-Long-Island-Rail-Road.pdf

On page 5 is a photo of a replacement bridge. For me it looks as if the stringers are so close that they can act as ties.This helps to minimize the height of the stringers.

That would perhaps allow to keep the track alignment. The girders would most likely be higher than in the photo for the long span.

Hopefully someone posts a photo of the completed brigde.
Regards, Volker

 

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Posted by NKP guy on Sunday, October 7, 2018 9:30 AM

Many thanks for posting the bridge/truck video, seppburgh2!  I find it as funny as it is mesmerizing.

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Posted by GERALD L MCFARLANE JR on Monday, October 8, 2018 5:35 PM

Overmod

An engineering firm on the bridge project can be reached here:

https://aiengineers.com/services/design-build-services/buckram-road-bridge-replacement

An interesting detail is that the replacement was apparently preassembled on site, and the entire replacement (the new bridge is said to be just one span!) done between the 5th and the 9th.  Stories I see don't indicate if the new bridge is being installed parallel to the old one, with shoofly embankment having been made to the new track level while the old bridge continues in service, but I think that is the way I would do it to avoid service outage while providing the necessary rise in what I expect will be a ballasted-deck replacement that is not a tight-clearance through plate girder construction. 

Overmod,

As the article states, buses will be substituted while the bridge is being replaced, so that means the entire line is being shut down during bridge replacement.

As for those commenting about raising the line to meet the new bridge...has anyone given a thought to just maybe the new bridge design elminates 4 feet of depth to the new structure, thereby requiring nothing but dropping the new span in place and reconnecting the rails at both ends.  Without knowing the depth of the current structure I couldn't tell you, but they could just as easily build a bridge that has the rails attached directly to steel ties that are placed right on the substructure...remember, it doesn't have to support freight car weights(as far as I know) so it's possible the design doesn't meet the 286k weight limit.

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 12:59 PM

I fund the following website showing the replacement of LIRR's Post Avenue bridge, also with too low clearance: http://www.amodernli.com/project/post-avenue-bridge-replacement/

The site contains a time laps video of the replacement. As far as I could see the track is ballasted and the track alignment wasn't changed.

But perhaps someone can check, please.

I haven't found pictures of the new Buckham Road bridge yet.
Regards, Volker

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 11, 2018 9:53 AM

Here is a link to a time laps video of LIRR's Buckram Road bridge replacement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3fwWCQZkMY

The new bridge is a ballested deck through girder bridge. As far as I was able to see the track got raised.
Regards, Volker

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 7:57 PM

This bridgeis going to bite the dust as well.  No information as to whether clearances will be increased ?

https://www.rtands.com/track-structure/bridge-retaining-walls-tunnels/rehab-planned-for-bridge-carrying-mbta-franklin-line/

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 3:45 AM

The clearance will be increased from 10'-4'' to 13'-6''.

The bridge will get new abutments for a wider span allowing a horizontal clearance of 32' plus 5' for sidewalks: https://www.mbta.com/projects/franklin-line-east-street-bridge-rehabilitation

Regards, Volker

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