Bridges Weekly Update #33

8 December 2004

Of the 146 bridges scheduled to be repaired this year, we are completed with 125 of them, and 19 more are currently works-in-progress as of Dec 8th. All RRIF bridgework is proceeding on schedule and is substantially completed. Remaining RRIF bridgework are deck repairs and other minor items, all the 286K requirements are completed. Currently within the RRIF project area only 16 bridges still require work to be completed, although most of that remaining work is cleanup or deck work.

¨ Bridge Repair is continuing between Verdi to Garvin and Sleepy Eye to Tracy on RRIF bridges. Currently only 3 bridges remain to be completed between Huron and Verdi (287.0, 287.3, & 295.5). Between Verdi and Tracy there are 12 bridges left to finish and between Tracy and Sleepy Eye there is only 1 bridge remaining to be completed.

¨ As of this writing all the remaining work on the bridges in the RRIF project area are principally decks and headwalls. Although completion of this work is still important it does not affect the bridges load carrying capacity. This means that all our bridges between Sleepy Eye and Wolsey in the RRIF project area can now handle 286K loading, and the remaining work will still be completed.

¨ The Sioux River Bridge is now complete.

¨ The work at Bridge 526, MP 206.2 is substantially complete, some remaining steel work and minor deck work remains.

¨ One bridge upgrade was started on the PRC at MP 532.9. There will be a substantial amount of work, which will include new deck and stringer chords. This work is still in progress, should be completed in the next week. The bridge near MP 79, Hermosa SD is also progressing and nearly complete.

¨ There were 2 bridges completed this week on the DM&E, however all the RRIF project bridges are in progress and substantially complete. Cleanup, headwalls, decks, walkways, and other minor work remains, which stops us from calling them totally complete. Most all of this work will be completed shortly.