BNSF project hits high gear

SANDPOINT — Anyone who has recently crossed the Long Bridge has undoubtedly seen the construction crews and massive cranes set up at Dog Beach as part of a BNSF Railway project to replace aging piers and pilings.

A 30-person construction crew will use the cranes and barges to make safety upgrades to 650 feet of railroad trestle on the north end of the bridge, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.

The support piers in question are more than 100 years old and their replacement was found to be of critical importance to maintaining safe operations, according to an encroachment permit filed by BNSF.

The project, which began last month and will continue through October, is progressing according to plans, with workers currently building an emergency access road before barges arrive later this week, Melonas said.

BNSF is working with water patrol to ensure the safety of boaters and swimmers while construction takes place, and Melonas asks all residents to be mindful of the work, especially once the barges arrive.

Fifty trains use the bridge on a daily basis, and by timing the work in shorter intervals, train schedules will not be interrupted during the project, Melonas said.

The railway is the only east/west link for the Transcontinental Northern lines and Amtrak, handling an estimated half-million gross tons of freight per day, according BNSF’s encroachment permit application.

It is because the rail line handles so much, and such and array of, material that makes these safety repairs is so important, and Sandpoint Fire Chief Robert Tyler said preparing for emergencies and disasters involving the railroad are of utmost importance.

Tyler and several members of his department are members of the Region 1 Hazardous Material response team and have been trained to plan for and handle hazmat disasters.

Using the analogy of a boulder sitting atop a mountain that could come tumbling down at any minute, Tyler said an emergency could happen at any moment or could be avoided for years.

“The ‘what ifs’ are very scary,” said Tyler, who noted that he has seen what he calls the “white train,” which carries nuclear waste, cross the train bridge.

Tyler said that he is close to getting 1,000 feet of boom from Kootenai County, which would be crucial to containing on any hazardous material in the water if a derailment were to happen on the bridge.

With proper material, training and use of the city-owned fire boat, Tyler said he feels confident that his team could handle an emergency involving a train derailment.

Tyler is currently working with the City Council to decide the level of service his team is expected to deliver with the city’s fire boat.