UPRR 29 Span Bridge Replacement

Union Pacific Railroad contracted with McGuire and Hester for the removal of an existing 870 foot long railroad trestle over the Tuolumne river flood plain and the replacement of the old wooden trestle with a new steel and concrete bridge.

Details

OWNER: Union Pacific Railroad

LOCATION: Modesto, California

Type of Project

Transportation

Services We Provided

Desription

Construction of the new bridge required driving over 13,000 lineal feet of 14X89 steel H-pile, placement of twenty-nine 25-ton, pre-cast concrete bent caps, installation of 58 pre-cast 30 foot concrete deck sections each weighing 25 tons and welding of associated transverse and lateral supports. The majority of the work took place 27 feet in the air and required extensive rigging and lift capabilities.

The project was complicated by the fact that the new structure was to be built in the exact location as the old structure and with the exception of two 24-hour shut down periods, rail traffic was to remain uninterrupted throughout the course of the project. This challenge was met by performing all prep work that could be performed with the existing structure in place.

The demolition of the existing structure was performed concurrently with the placement of the new deck sections. A 200-ton, 165-ton and 75-ton crane all worked nonstop throughout the shutdown periods until the old structure was demolished and the new bridge and rail was ready for the safe passage of Union Pacific freight trains.