2 minute read
SKOL Bridge Earns RT&S Top Projects Honor
by OneWatco
Blistering heatwaves, short construction windows, and complex logistics made the demolition and replacement of the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad’s (SKOL) Cow Creek bridge a challenge, but the SKOL team and their contractors successfully rose to the occasion. Their efforts recently earned a spot on Railway Track & Structures’ Top Projects list.
The bridge, just southwest of Pittsburg, Kansas, on the SKOL Gorilla subdivision at mile post 59.6, is the main connection to several local customers and a Class I interchange. It plays a critical role in providing service to a new soybean processing plant. But many components of the bridge were more than 100 years old and needed to be upgraded to safely handle 286,000-lb. traffic.
Material began arriving in June 2023, but the majority of work was completed in two short windows on July 11 and August 22. The ten wooden spans of the 385-foot bridge were demolished and replaced with precast concrete by contractors with the track only being out of service for two days. The two steel center spans were rehabilitated at night when trains weren’t running.
All the coordination and planning were put to the test during the August construction. It was one of the hottest days Kansas had seen in years. Temperatures reached 104 degrees, with the heat index soaring to 125. This, combined with the surrounding trees and low-lying area near the creek, turned the work site into an oven.
The team responded by bringing in temporary shades, large fans, and shifting schedules so the most demanding work could be done at night when temperatures dropped to 90 degrees. This approach worked. The main contractor, Kraemer North America, assembled the final seven spans of precast concrete. Kelly-Hill laid the ballast and surfaced the new track. B&L Trenching hauled and loaded the ballast and helped with dirt work. Martinus Bottom Line provided flagging services. And it was all completed within the allotted 36-hour window.
“I was very impressed by the organization and safety coordination between Kraemer and their subcontractors during bridge construction and changeouts,” said Cameron Ginther, Watco director of rail infrastructure. “The professionalism and timeliness by Kraemer to work through project hurdles made it easy for us to continue safe and reliable service to our customers and Class I partners in southeast Kansas.”
