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09/28/09 KCRG: Waterloo Unveils Replacement for Flood Damaged Bridge
09/28/09 KWWL: Waterloo rail road bridge reopens
09/28/09 Chicago Tribune: Repairs nearly done on Iowa's flood-damaged rails
09/28/09 WCF Courier: Politicians visit, celebrate completion of railroad bridge in time for harvest
07/10/09 WCF Courier: Repairs under way on flood-damaged railroad bridge
06/29/09 Journal of Commerce: Back From the Brink
06/22/09 Corridor Business Journal: Waterloo Bridge Crucial Link
05/27/09 FRA: IANR awarded Disaster Assistance Grant from FRA
05/13/09 WCF Courier: City clears way for railroad bridge repair
04/01/09 WCF Courier: Bid to repair railroad bridge destroyed in floods has gained no steam
03/22/09 WCF Courier: Give a 'mighty good road' a break
02/19/09 KCRG: Railroad hopes stimulus bill helps rebuild flood damaged bridge
11/14/08 KWWL: Flood damaged Waterloo railroad bridge still in disrepair
09/02/08 CR Gazette: Floods dealt big blow to railways and bridges
06/26/08 CNN: Floods stall Iowa railroads

Waterloo Bridge on June 29, 2009 before reconstruction begins

   

This material is based upon work supported by the Iowa Department of Transportation under a grant/cooperative agreement, Flood Damage Restoration for the Iowa Northern Railway Company.

Bridge Restoration Updates Jump to newest update

The week of June 29, 2009

The bridge contractor began moving machinery into the area.

**Note: On 6/29/09 a contractor cut into the flood wall on the east side of the river. This was done to allow work to be done to the bike / walking trail. This was NOT done to facilitate repair work for the railroad bridge.

The week of July 6, 2009

7/7/09 -- More equipment is being mobilized into the area. The pad where the spans will be reconstructed has been built and the vault for storage of the flood gate has been removed.
   

7/8/09 -- The flood wall has been cut.


7/9/09 -- A small crane is on site to construct the larger crane.
   

7/10/09 -- The large crane has been erected. The construction on the causeway in the river is now taking place.
   
   

The week of July 13, 2009

7/16/09 -- One span has been picked up on its side. Two carloads of steel will arrive and be off-loaded today. A ballast car arrived in Manly late yesterday and will be onsite tomorrow.

7/17/09 -- Multiple spans have been lifted out of the river and moved.

The week of July 20, 2009

7/22/09 -- Spans 7 & 8 have been pulled from the river and are in the work area. Spans 5 & 6 will be pulled once the causeway is extended closer to pier #5. Straightening of the damaged girders will begin next week.

7/23/09 -- Floor system has been unloaded from rail cars. Working on removing rivets and floor system steel from span 7 and 8. Causeway has been extended.
  

The week of July 27, 2009

7/28/09 -- Heat straightening of steel girders is taking place. Divers are on hand and span 6 could be pulled out today. Piers 6 and 7 are in the process of being demolished.

The week of August 3, 2009

08/05/09 -- Span 6 was pulled from water and most of the repair work has been completed on it. The new floor system is being installed on all of the removed spans. Demolition on the piers is nearly complete.
  

The week of August 10, 2009

08/10/09 -- All spans are out of the river. Construction on the floor system continues. The causeway is being repaired following the heavy rains over the weekend. Drilling of the caissons will begin this week.

The week of August 17, 2009

Rebar cage installed and formed for Pier 6. Pier 6 poured and finished. Rail on spans 1-4 is being removed. Drilling contractor mobilized, set up and installed temporary casing to start installation of new drilled shafts for pier 7.
  

The week of August 24, 2009

A new bridge seat and back wall was poured on the North abutment. The casing shafts for the new bent 7 were drilled and set. Rebar cages were constructed for the newly drilled shafts.
  

The week of August 31, 2009

Concrete is poured in drilled shaft bent #7. Pier #5 has form removed. Bent #6 shafts are poured.


  

The week of September 7, 2009

09/08/09 -- Spans 6-8 are for all practical purposes assembled. Span 5 is well underway. The East headwall (abutment) is poured. The foundation for pier #7 has been poured and they are in the process of building the form for the remainder of the pier.
 

09/10/09 -- Piers 6 & 7 will be poured on Friday. At that point all pouring will be finished. Bolt tightening is going quickly. Span 5 floor system is almost finished. By the end of today bridge ties should be on spans 1-4.

The week of September 14, 2009

All piers are poured and forms have been removed. All spans are ready to install. Ties and walkways are pre-installed so fall protection won't be an issue when the rail is installed.

The week of September 21, 2009

On Monday and Tuesday the causeway is being built up in preparation for setting the spans the rest of the week. A low boy trailer capable of hydraulically lifting the spans will be used. The low boy will back the spans down the causeway and raise them up. A pair of cranes will then drop the spans into position on the piers.

The week of September 28, 2009

All spans were set in place as of 1700 on 9/23/09. This week they will repair all of the expansion bearings, replace the North back wall and finish tying down the bridge deck and foot walk. Track construction will start to relay the rail across the bridge on October 2nd.
  
  


9/28/09 - Union Pacific, Iowa Northern, Congressman Braley and Governor Culver meet to commemorate the restoration of the Waterloo Bridge.
 

The week of October 5, 2009

Stabilization grouting on piers 4 and 5 completed. All bridge ties and foot walk installed and fastened down. All bearings installed and anchored. Stone back wall on South abutment replaced.  

10/06/09 -- WATERLOO BRIDGE REOPENS!

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