(The following report appeared on The Hawk Eye website on April 18, 2009.)
BURLINGTON, Iowa Enough stimulus money has been earmarked to upgrade the BNSF bridge in Burlington to make the project a reality.
Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Dave Loebsack, both Democrats, announced Friday that $28.7 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to convert the bridge's pivot span to a lift span.
The long-discussed project has been targeted since the U.S. Coast Guard found that the it ranked third among bridges most often struck by barges. Between 1992 and 2001, the bridge was struck 92 times.
So far, $55.5 million has been secured for the bridge project, whose estimated cost has increased to more than $56 million.
The design has been completed for some time and once BNSF moves forward with its share of the funds, the bridge could be completed within two years, providing a substantial number of construction jobs.
The bridge is part of BNSF's Chicago-to-Denver mainline.
The bridge was built in 1868 as the first all-metal bridge to cross the Mississippi River.
The lift span will nearly double the bridge's navigation channel, since the full width of the former swing span can be used.
The funding announced Friday is part of $142 million overall for bridge repairs nationwide.
"Repairing and rebuilding the Burlington Northern Bridge is so much more than an infrastructure project, it means maintaining rail traffic and avoiding a possible block in barge traffic on the Mississippi while creating good construction jobs that are badly needed in southeast Iowa," Harkin said in a release Friday. "This is a win-win for our state: job creation for working families and a boost to our local economy from needed infrastructure improvements."
Loebsack also praised the appropriation.
"This $28 million in Recovery Act Funds builds on my ongoing fight to ensure that Burlington remains a hub for freight rail and a major transportation artery for years to come," he said in a statement.
Sounds like a worthy project for me. Not only helps the railroad, but more importantly improves navigation on the river as far as I can tell. I like projects that are multi purposeful.
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I started ophph with nuthin, and I can safely say I have most of it left.... <img
