The Indiana Rail Road plans to spend $17.5 million this year for infrastructure improvements including laying new rail and ballast, undercutting select sections of roadbed and bridge replacement. The work will be conducted between March and October.
Two timber bridges on the Chicago Subdivision will be replaced at MP 221.07 and 221.35 in the White River floodplain between Linton and Elnora, Ind.
The northernmost bridge will be replaced by two concrete culverts but the southernmost bridge will be replaced with a 159-foot steel and reinforced concrete structure. That existing bridge is 184 feet in length.
Work will continue to replace the 117-year-old bridge over the White River north of Elnora. That $14 million project is expected to be completed by August. The bridge is stable, but has a 10 mph slow order and a 263,000 pound weight restriction.
Looking ahead, the railroad plans to replace a 112-foot timber bridge near Newton, Ill., in 2016.
In 2017, INRD expects to replace eight timber bridges on the Indianapolis Division with new bridges of steel and reinforced concrete decks.
Shuffle Creek trestle northeast of Bloomington will be rebuilt with some components of its 75-foot tall towers being replaced. The INRD system has 208 bridges.
The 2015 capital expenditures will be about a quarter of INRD annual revenues.
In other news, INRD President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Hoback sold his remaining shares of INRD stock to CSX on January 2. Hoback, who was one of the INRD’s founders, will retire later this year.
Tags: Indiana Rail Road, Railroad infrastructure, Tom Hoback
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