UP to upgrade two lines straddling Wyoming

Union Pacific Railroad plans to spend $11 million to bolster a line between LaSalle, Colo., and near Cheyenne, Wyo.

The project began July 9 and is scheduled for completion by mid-December. Crews will replace 43,300 ties, install 12,800 tons of ballast and renew surfaces at 43 grade crossings.

UP also has budgeted $9.6 million to upgrade a line between Scottsbluff, Neb., and Shawnee, Wyo. The project began July 13 and is scheduled for completion by Sept. 30.

The work calls for replacing 68,000 concrete ties, installing 26,000 tons of ballast and renewing nearly a half mile of rail in various curves.

The projects are among nearly 1,500 that UP plans to complete across its 32,000-mile network this year to help improve operating efficiency, reduce motorists' wait times at crossings and enhance safety.