AASHTO Journal, 31 May 2013
A highway overpass in southeast Missouri collapsed early Saturday morning after a Union Pacific freight train and a BNSF freight train collided underneath, causing several rail cars to derail and smash into the bridge.
“The damage is very extensive,” Missouri Department of Transportation engineer Mark Shelton told the Associated Press. “We’re going to end up removing the entire bridge and completely replacing it.”
The incident caused two 40-foot sections of the Scott County Highway M overpass to collapse, injuring seven people (though none seriously). The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the collision and derailment. Repair for the bridge, a bill likely to be footed by the railroads, is estimated to cost about $3 million.
The overpass, AP reported, had been inspected in February and was deemed in “good” condition. Shelton told the AP he expects the bridge to be reopened in early September.
