Iowa DOT releases facts about U.S. 34 and BNSF bridges
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is releasing the following facts as background regarding the U.S. 34 bridge at Burlington that was struck by two runaway and fully loaded barges earlier this morning. The Iowa DOT will be making information available regarding the inspection of the structure, as soon as it becomes available.
A second bridge that carries rail traffic, including Amtrak passenger service, and is located downstream from the U.S. 34 bridge was also struck by a third barge. That bridge is also closed. The rail bridge is owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Corporation, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas . The BNSF Railway in southern Iowa averages 31 freight trains per day and carries the second highest freight density (117 million annual gross tons per mile).
Amtrak's eastbound California Zephyr train is presently being held between Omaha and Burlington. The passenger train cannot be rerouted because it had already left Omaha and the north line alternative is under flood waters.
- Commonly known as: The Great River Bridge
- Carries: Four lanes of U.S. 34 over the Mississippi River
- Type: A symmetrical, cable-stayed bridge, first of its type to be built in Iowa
- Location: Milepost 264, Des Moines County, connects Burlington, Iowa, and Gulfport, Ill., over the Mississippi River
- Construction: Constructed started in July 1989, two lanes were opened to traffic on Oct. 3, 1993, with the final dedication and opening July 14, 1995
- Length: The main superstructure is three spans (660-foot main span, 405-foot side span, and 180-foot approach span on the east end) for a total length of 1,245 feet
- Tower: The cast-in-place reinforced concrete tower measures 376 feet, 2 inches
- Cables: The cable arrangement consists of two vertical planes in a fan configuration. There are 28 cables (14 in each plane) on the main span and 26 (13 in each plane). The length of the cables varies from 157 to 650 feet.
- Width: 27 feet
- Clearance below: 60 feet
- Average daily traffic count: 8,600 vehicles
- Inspection: The main spans were last inspected Sept. 17, 2007 (includes Illinois approach spans). The report has not been issued (still under review) The Iowa approaches were inspected December 2007.
- Bridge section hit: Pier on the eastern end or Illinois side of the bridge
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