UP restores service to key Nebraska bridge in 8 days

Union Pacific Railroad has restored service to a freight-rail bridge in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, that was damaged in a Feb. 23 fire. Crews worked around the clock to finish the project in just over a week.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue determined that an unattended campfire set the bridge on fire, according to a local news report.

The 127-year-old, steel and timber bridge spans Salt Creek and is a key rail crossing, UP officials said in a press release.

UP and contractor crews demolished timber sections and replaced them with concrete spans, drove new rail piles, repositioned the truss, installed track panels and ballast and reinforced the structure. The project required crews to assemble a 300-ton crane on site, delivered in 16 semitruck loads, to reposition the steel truss, said UP officials. The bridge is fully operation and back to serving freight trains.

"Eight days later, our teams safely put this bridge back in service," said Eric Gehringer, executive vice president of operations. "It’s an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the expertise, determination and safety mindset of our people working through a complex operation."