Friends of the Rail Forum

Union Pacific’s main line linking the Pacific Northwest and California — its Interstate 5 corridor — is likely to remain closed until at least Sept. 1 as a result of the wildfire that destroyed the massive Dry Canyon Bridge in Northern California along with 9 miles of right-of-way. The railroad informed customers in a July 9 advisory that the railroad has a reroute plan in place, but that the alternate route will add 48 to 72 hours to shipment times...

Independent analyst Anthony B. Hatch is fond of saying that one of freight railroads’ enduring advantages is owning and maintaining their own infrastructure. Nothing could drive that point home better than the repair blitz that Union Pacific launched after its 1,200-foot Dry Canyon Bridge sustained heavy damage from a wildfire. The 150-foot-tall span in Hotlum, Calif., in the shadow of Mount Shasta, was caught in the path of the Lava Fire on June 28. The inferno put the bridge out of service, and UP estimated its I-5 Corridor linking California and the Pacific Northwest would be severed until around Sept. 1. Instead, UP Engineering Department employees and an army of contractors rebuilt the bridge in 34 days, allowing trains to resume rolling on Aug. 1...

They had to build roads to the floor of the canyon so three massive cranes could be set up. Only one of the bridge’s 19 spans escaped damage, so crews installed nine new spans and heat-straightened another nine to repair warping caused by the fire. Ballast deck pans were added, along with 700 new ties and new rail. Some 58 tons of new steel were used to rebuild the bridge...