COOS BAY, Ore. – Coos Bay Rail Line has completed construction of a new bridge over Coalbank Slough and has opened it to rail traffic. The project included the dismantling and disposal of the old bridge structure and replacing it with a new fixed span bridge.
The former bridge structure was a non-operating deck-plate girder, swing-span bridge. Bridge repairs conducted by the previous owner of the line included removal of the swing mechanism and the addition of intermediate bents to support the center section of the bridge, making it essentially a fixed continuous deck plate girder structure for over 30 years.
Construction of the new bridge began Dec. 13, 2021. The railroads owner, the International Port of Coos Bay, contracted with Legacy Construction as the prime contractor for the project. The new bridge connects the last 16.5 miles of the railroad to the Union Pacific interchange in Eugene, Ore. Replacement of the bridge will be instrumental in facilitating rail traffic to the Port-owned Terminal One facility, or former Georgia Pacific Mill site.
The Coalbank Slough project marks the completion of the first phase of the Port’s BUILD program of projects, which will also include improvements to 10 steel bridges in the Wild Cat Creek area, rehabilitation of all three swing span bridges along the railroad, and significant improvements to the Vaughn Viaduct bridge near Noti, Ore. Legacy Construction has begun repair work on the swing span bridges on the line in North Bend, Reedsport and Cushman, Ore. The remaining work on bridges will not include replacement of any structures.
The projects are being funded through a combination of $20 million in Federal grant funds through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program as well as $5 million in grant funds through the State of Oregon.
Coos Bay Rail Line is owned and operated by the International Port of Coos Bay. The railroad extends 134 miles from Eugene to Coquille, Ore. Primary products handled by CBRL include lumber, woodchips, plate steel, treated wood, Ilmenite, and organic dairy feed. The line was owned by Southern Pacific until 1996 when it was acquired by Railtex. Railtex subsequently was sold to RailAmerica, which in turn sold the line to the International Port of Coos Bay in 2009. The railroad was not operated from 2007 through October 2011. Operations restarted in October 2011.
