Heavy rains and a rapid rise on the Grand River led to an accumulation of drift pushing against Norfolk Southern’s rail bridge. After significant deflection from surging debris, rails were cut on either approach to salvage track leading into the river spans. Moments later, 270 feet of bridge was washed downstream, bringing rail traffic in and out of Kansas City to a screeching halt.

After proposal acceptance, equipment was promptly mobilized from the St. Louis warehouse to the project location near Brunswick, MO. While the tow was heading up the Missouri, Massman personnel were engaged to arrive at the most efficient design for a temporary replacement bridge. As design was being finalized and permanent material was en route, crews began template fabrication. Dedicated templates were made for each pier to ensure there would be no wasted time between setups. Precast caps were selected as another solution to expedite construction. Span lengths were determined by Norfolk Southern, who brought in plate girder spans salvaged from other bridge replacement projects across the country.

While the replacement foundations were designed to miss those of the recently collapsed bridge, an obstruction at the last pier prevented casings from being driven in their plan location. Underwater imagery revealed what appeared to be piling from the original crossing dating back to the late 1800’s. With diver assistance, a jet pipe was used to loosen material and extract several pieces of old timber piling. Working around the clock, the four drilled shafts were then excavated, drilled out, and filled with tremie concrete over the course of four days.

The plate girder spans, already transported to the project on railcars, were similarly pushed to the site to be lifted into position.

Rail service was restored on the evening of October 28th, three weeks after Massman arrived onsite. Efforts were then redirected towards the retrieval of the existing structure from the river. Divers were used to hook up to the tangled bridge and clear the channel one section at a time. On the replacement bridge, debris guards and girder retainer blocks were also installed as protective safeguards during its interim use.

The fast-tracked nature of this project posed many challenges. Coordination and communication between all parties was essential for a safe and successful project delivery.