Railway Emergency Work

In mid-March 2019, devastating floodwaters roared along the Missouri and Platte Rivers. With frozen ground unable to absorb runoff, melting snow and heavy rains gushed into rivers, lakes, and creeks. The floodwaters shot through areas of Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri, leaving behind damage to transportation systems that required fast repair—including multiple tracks and bridges. 

Working closely with the railway company and other contractors, Ames crews worked 24/7 from mid-March to mid-November at five locations in Nebraska, two in Iowa, and one in Missouri.

Highlights of major work performed in each state:

La Platte, Nebraska
The mainline across the Platte River suffered severe damage from the impact of huge ice jams. Ames:

• Mobilized personnel and equipment to the site in one day.
• Built a 3,500-foot causeway to transport a 440-ton crawler crane to the bridge location in the middle of the Platte River.
• Constructed three pile-found river bents.
• Recovered damaged bridge components from the river.
• Erected four new bridge spans.
• Repaired damaged rail tracks and returned them to service in just 16 days.

Bartlett, Iowa
Embankment was wiped out under a 2,300-foot stretch of mainline, including a bridge over a leveed creek. Project highlights include:

• Fast mobilization with 35 pieces of yellow iron—dozers, excavators, rollers, and off-road trucks.
• Hauling and placing rock to fill 50 feet of water depth.
• Owner-supplied materials from seven quarries at distances of up to two hours away.
• 320 subcontracted trucks hauling up to 27,000 tons of rock daily; a total of 400,000 tons of rock by project end.
• Tracks back in service 50 days from project start.

Rock Port, Missouri
Railway bridges in Rock Port were damaged. Ames:

• Erected a 190-foot steel temporary access bridge on State Highway 136 in four days.
• Built a shoofly around a compromised bridge to restore service to the track.
• Dismantled the temporary bridge when repairs were complete.