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Union Pacific Railroad plans to spend more than $27 million to improve track at its south San Antonio yard and upgrade a mainline between Newport, Ark., and Harviell, Mo.

As part of the $8.3 million San Antonio project that began last month, crews will replace about 13 miles of rail and 16 switches, install 32,000 ties and spread 6,675 tons of ballast.

Scheduled to be completed in July, the project is part of trackwork UP plans to complete within a 50-mile radius of San Antonio this year.

The $19.4 million Newport-to-Harviell project — which began Feb. 1 — includes surfacing and lining 102 track miles, installing 189,700 ties, spreading 52,934 tons of ballast and replacing surfaces at 164 grade crossings.

Scheduled to be completed in May, the project is part of UP's 2005 maintenance-of-way capital plan, which calls for spending more than $1 billion to maintain and improve track within the road's 33,000-mile system.