(rshsdepot) Noble, OK; Railroad bridge may be the prettiest you'll never see

["jdent1_@_optonline.net" <jdent1@optonline.net>]

From Altamont Press Newsline=2E=2E=2E

Railroad bridge may be the prettiest you'll never see=20

About the only people who know there is a new bridge on the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe Railway across the South Canadian River, south of Noble,=

Oklahoma, are the folks who ride the Heartland Flyer or train crews=2E

You can't see the bridge from U=2ES=2E 77=2E The highway, the most heavily=

traveled nearby road, is a mile or so east of the bridge=2E=20

You also can't see the new bridge from Burkett Road, which is the nearest
road west=2E

About the only way to see the bridge is to drive down a narrow, sandy road=

that runs parallel to the track on the east side=2E=20

The old iron bridge with its three tall humped sections, no longer is in
use=2E It became obsolete around Thanksgiving, said Todd Saxton, project
manager for M=2EJ=2E Lee Construction Co=2E, which is building portions of=
 the
new bridge=2E

This was when the first train, a northbound freight, crossed the river on
the new bridge, which is 9271/2 feet long=2E The prestressed concrete brid=
ge
is long and low=2E

"It's has a very neat line; it's pleasing to look at," Saxton said=2E=20

The bridge it replaces had three main sections=2E Saxton said he was told =
the
two northern sections were built in 1898 and the southernmost in early
1900=2E The bridge had to be extended when the riverbed moved, he said=2E

Larry McNeely, local supervisor with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, said
that the entire project cost about $4=2E5 million=2E=20

"It was still a good bridge," McNeely said, but added that with
double-stacked containers, it was beginning to be a problem=2E=20

He said the railway is upgrading bridges, and it was time for this one to
be replaced=2E He said the old bridge will be cut up, sold for scrap and
recycled=2E

Saxton said his company's portion of the bridge contract amounted to about=

$3 million, and this bridge is built to last 150 years=2E=20

He explained that there are a large number of close beams on each span=2E=20=


"The forces at work with a train moving are significantly different than a=

truck or a car," he said=2E

Also, the new bridge has been water-proofed with a new system that has bee=
n
used on other bridges in this country and in Europe=2E=20

BNSF takes pride in the structure=2E McNeely said that in the spring, a
two-day conference of railroad representatives and their supplier is
expected to draw about 65 people=2E He said one day of the conference, set=
 in
Norman, will be spent inspecting the new bridge over the South Canadian
River=2E - Ellie Sutter, The Oklahoma City Oklahoman, courtesy Larry W=2E =
Grant

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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #567
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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org