Nebraska Central RR rail bridge reopens in Norfolk, Neb.
(The following story by Trisha Schulz appeared on the Omaha World-Herald website on August 12, 2010.)
NORFOLK, Neb. A Nebraska Central locomotive pulling scrap metal to the Nucor Steel plant crossed a rebuilt railroad bridge Thursday morning, about two months after the span collapsed into the flooded Elkhorn River.
Approximately 60 people gathered to watch.
For many, it was a sight they didn't expect to see so soon.
After the bridge collapsed during mid-June flooding, it wasn't immediately known if any pieces could be salvaged. If a new bridge had to be built, it could have taken a year or more, some said.
But thanks to what was described as "remarkable cooperation" by government officials, railroad representatives and construction and repair crews, the bridge was back in place less than two months after it fell into the river.
Providing a big boost was the fact that the two large metal spans that made up the bridge were able to be pulled from the river and used again.
"The way the community came together is not something you normally see," said Richard Bertel, chief executive officer of Rio Grande Pacific of Fort Worth, Texas, the parent company that owns the Nebraska Central Railroad.
State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk called it "a big day for Norfolk."
Part of the ceremony Thursday involved taking time to remember Jeff Scholl, the Nebraska Central employee who died when the bridge collapsed. He and two other railroad employees had been inspecting the bridge for safety when it fell into the river.
The Rev. Mike Malloy of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Battle Creek offered a prayer and sprinkled holy water on the bridge prior to the train crossing it.
"Every time a train crosses this bridge, let us remember Jeff Scholl and his family," Malloy said.
Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy was among those at the observance along with City of Norfolk officials, business representatives and members of the Jeff Scholl family, including his parents from Petersburg. Scholl family members were invited to climb aboard and ride the train as it made its way north to Norfolk.
Theisen Construction Inc. of Norfolk started working on the bridge reconstruction almost immediately after it was damaged. Its workers and others were commended Thursday for their hard work -- including on holidays and weekends -- in helping to make the bridge repairs as quickly as possible.
The bridge serves as the only rail line into the city, and it serves major manufacturers Nucor, Norfolk Iron & Metal and Louis Dreyfus Commodities.
Nebraska Central Railroad leases most of the five separate rail lines that make up the NRC system from Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha. Union Pacific actually owns the railroad bridge that collapsed.
