FrontRunner rolls across two bridges
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Wednesday, February 27, 2008
By JORDAN MUHLESTEIN
Standard-Examiner staff
OGDEN -- Regular commuter rail service in the Top of Utah moved closer to reality Tuesday as a FrontRunner train rolled across a pair of new bridges for the first time.
The run tested the bridges over the Weber River and the Union Pacific rail yard in preparation for regular passenger runs, planned to begin in mid- to late-April, said Kent Jorgenson, Utah Transit Authority senior marketing representative.
The Weber River bridge has an overall length of 1,333 feet, about 1/4 mile, with 11 spans, said Carrie Bohnsack-Ware, UTA senior media relations specialist. The rail yard bridge measures 660 feet, with four spans.
Both bridges run 40 feet above the ground and were built by the Wadsworth Construction Company, she said. The project garnered Wadsworth an award for Best Concrete Project in Intermountain Contractor's Best of 2007.
The bridges, however, were only part of the overall construction, which required tons of concrete for more than 45,000 square feet of retaining walls.
"Five major retaining walls were constructed under several existing bridge structures to accommodate the required width of the new commuter rail tracks," Bohnsack-Ware said.
The bridges were built with both concrete and steel girders, she said, which maximized span length while minimizing the cost of the project.
"The bridge's steel girders consisted of some of the largest bridge girders ever fabricated and erected in Utah," Bohnsack-Ware said.
Builders had to be careful while working closely to Interstate 15 and the Union Pacific tracks, she said. There were also strict construction schedules that necessitated the Union Pacific lines being shut down from time to time.
"Despite the tight time frames allowed, the contractor finished the project ahead of schedule," Bohnsack-Ware said.
Tuesday's tests had the trains running about 20 mph along the bridges, she said, but high-speed testing is expected next week. When operational, FrontRunner trains will carry passengers between Weber County and Salt Lake City at more than 75 mph.
Jorgenson said the bridges proved to be an engineering feat because much of the land they are built on was landfill.
Along with the bridge testing, UTA is training FrontRunner employees and improving train crossings to make the operation as safe as possible.
"I think this train is going to be very exciting," Jorgenson said.
The FrontRunner train will be on public display during the Hostlers Model Railroad Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week, Jorgenson said. It will be parked at the FrontRunner platform just west of 23rd Street and Wall Avenue.
"Ogden used to have more than 100 (passenger) trains through the city daily," he said. "This brings the trains back."
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