Railroad Tunnel Innovation Keeps Tracks Running Through Reconstruction

摘要

As part of their $3,3-billion U.S.-395 Corridor Project through metropolitan Spokane, the Washington State Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) needed a structure to span a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad track and support a new stretch of Highway 395 above. A conventional girder bridge was proposed, but due to structure size and cost, other options were considered. WSDOT, working with CONTECH, investigated prefabricated tunnel options using either a concrete or a steel plate arch system. BNSF accepted plans for a BEBO arch system, a buried concrete structure often utilized for short and medium span bridges, overpasses and tunnels.