Bridges Weekly Update #12

30 June 2004

ON SCHEDULE

Of the 146 bridges scheduled to be repaired this year, we are completed with 44 of them, and 9 more are currently works-in-progress as of June 30^th. All bridgework is proceeding on schedule to be completed by November 1, 2004. Span changeout has begun on the east end of the Sioux River Bridge.

¨ E-80 and Osmose are both continuing between Elkton and Wolsey on RRIF bridges, although progress has been somewhat slowed by the lack of track windows. We are able to progress work items that do not require a track window or outage. Current traffic requirements have necessitated deferring some of the work for a couple of weeks. These temporary work deferral periods were planned for during the different harvest or heavy rail traffic rush periods. These temporary deferrals should not affect our ultimate schedule.

¨ The Sioux River Bridge is being worked on by E-80. Prep work began on March 15^th and on April 12^th they started driving piling with 36 of 78 pilings being driven thus far. This completes the pile driving that is required for the east end of the bridge. For the next two months the crew will be working on the concrete caps and abutments, which will be poured in place. The first of these concrete caps was poured on Wednesday May 26^th and all but one of these concrete caps in the east approach span has been completed. The crew will complete the east end of the bridge by the first of August before they travel to the west side to start the other half of this project. This week we began to change out the spans on the east approach. Two spans and the truss ballast tub interface have been completed. Span Changeout should continue through the next week provided traffic will permit track windows. This project is on schedule and should be completed by November 1, 2004.

¨ The pile driving crane is currently enroute to the DM&E, so the Cottonwood and Mine Creek bridges are on schedule to begin in early July and completed in late August or early September.

¨ Two bridges have been completed this week, one near MP 397 and the other near MP 356.