PUEBLO, Colo. — Southbound lanes of Interstate 25 reopened this afternoon (Wednesday, Oct. 18) at the site of Sunday’s derailment and fatal bridge collapse involving a BNSF Railway coal train, the Colorado State Patrol reported on social media. Northbound lanes are expected to reopen Thursday
Meanwhile, BNSF says the rail line at the site of the accident was inspected earlier in the day on Sunday, according to a KUSA-TV video report, although the railroad did not specify what form of inspection had been performed. Initial findings of National Transportation Safety Board investigators indicate a broken rail led to the derailment, which raised questions about when the last track inspection had taken place [see “Preliminary NTSB findings …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 17, 2023].
Colorado Public Radio reports Colorado Gov. Jared Polis visited the derailment scene Wednesday and, referencing the NTSB findings, said there was “no reason to believe that the bridge played any role in the accident.” BNSF and the Colorado Department of Transportation had made conflicting comments about the ownership of the bridge that collapsed, killing a truck driver, but now say they are checking their records to determine ownership and maintenance responsibility for the structure built in 1958.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports Polis also said another temporary closure of the highway would be necessary in three to four weeks to complete replacement of the railroad span over I-25, but that the public would be notified in advance of that closure and that BNSF and CDOT were working to minimize the impact of that construction.
