Taking advantage of low construction costs and an existing Coast Guard upgrade project, the BNSF Railway plans to replace the entire bridge over the Mississippi River located in Burlington, Iowa.
Already, the Coast Guard is spending $75 million to replace the bridge's swing span over the barge channel, installing a lift structure instead. The bridge, which was built in the 1890s, is one of the top three in the US for suffering strikes from barges and towboats. In addition to the Coast Guard funds, BNSF will pay $8.3 million to cover the cost of capacity upgrades on the lift span, so that trains can haul more cargo.
Most of the project is expected to be completed by next March.
The Burlington Bridge, used by over 30 trains a day, opens about 300 times a month for river traffic to pass through. Approximately 24 million tons of waterborne freight moved under the bridge in 2008 alone.