September 25, 2002

Work Starts on Railroad Bridge Replacement

RALEIGH, NC -- A bridge that has spanned the Neuse River near Kinston for nearly a century will be removed and replaced with a new structure that will accommodate today’s larger and heavier freight rail cars. North Carolina Railroad Company President Scott Saylor announced today that Altair Construction Company has been awarded the construction contract to begin work in October. The project will take approximately 10 to 12 months to complete.

“The new bridge will enhance the ability of Norfolk Southern Railway, which operates the NCRR rail lines under a trackage rights agreement, to offer better service for existing and future customers in the eastern part of the state and at the Morehead City Port,” Saylor said. “Heavy or wide rail cars are currently being re-routed around the existing bridge. The old bridge, located in Lenoir County, is outdated and incurred flood-related damage associated with Hurricane Floyd.”

The new bridge will be a through plate girder structure replacing the old trestle type spans that cannot support the heavier, modern cars. Each car can weigh up to 315,000 pounds. This means the track will be set inside and between the new steel girders, and there will be no limiting overhead structure like the old bridge. The project will begin with the ordering of steel and the construction of piers and backwalls to support the deck, according to NCRR Consulting Engineer Glenn Hartsoe. The next step will be to fabricate the track span, then construct the bridge ties. The fabricated track will then be placed on the bridge, with two spans of about 115 feet each.

“This construction requires taking the track out of service for a period of about five months but all operations will continue through re-routing of rail traffic over Norfolk Southern routes,” said Carl Wilson, general manager for Norfolk Southern’s East Carolina Business Unit. “Rail customers should not experience any delays.”

“Another NCRR project is the Highway 54 Bridge,” Saylor said. “It is located in Research Triangle Park in Durham County and will be under construction in 2003. This structure was built before the Park was created, when there was little traffic other than farming vehicles along Highway 54. Today, there is traffic congestion that is made worse by the narrowness of the single-track railroad bridge along this heavily traveled artery into the Park. The replacement bridge will allow for double tracks and a realignment to accommodate the Triangle Transit Authority’s proposed track system.”

The North Carolina Railroad Company owns and manages the 317-mile rail corridor from Morehead City to Charlotte that serves as the backbone of the state’s rail system. The railroad carries more than 60 freight trains operated by Norfolk Southern and eight Amtrak passenger trains daily. NCRR is owned by the State of North Carolina and operated as a private company. The NCRR’s mission is to manage, improve and protect the state’s rail properties and corridors in a manner that will enhance freight and passenger service and promote economic development.

Photos available upon request.