maumee river rr_lift_bridge_train_day2015

Strengthening an Essential Link: Toledo, Ohio’s Middlegrounds Bridge Protecting National Security and Correcting a Single Point of Failure at One of America’s Key River Crossings

Jerry W. Wicks, Ph.D., Director, OHERN Institute www.ohern.org Update: April, 2015

Ohio Higher Education Rail Network Institute

Overview

The following presentation makes the case for a second, multi-track railroad bridge to be built across the Maumee River near the Toledo Union Amtrak Station.

The current bridge, which is owned by Norfolk Southern, is over a century old and handles well over 100 freight and passenger trains a day. Freight rail traffic on the bridge is forecast to steadily increase in the coming decades and the demand for additional use by passenger trains - both long-haul and intercity commuter rail - is likely to grow in the next few years.

In addition to a potential structural failure, there exists several external risks that could result in a catastrophic failure of the current bridge. These risks include ship collision, bridge-operator error, train derailment and sabotage or international terrorism.

Since there are no practical alternate routes for freight or for the majority of passenger trains traveling east and west between Chicago and the east coast, the bridge is a “single point of failure” for both the freight and passenger rail systems.

The loss of the bridge would pose a logistical nightmare for the rail distribution systems, and if that loss were protracted could lead to a substantial contraction in the economies of the region and nation.

There is a solution. It may be possible to construct a second bridge near the present crossing and do so without disrupting current rail or shipping service. A second bridge would supply additional tracks for freight and passenger rail, plus, it would serve national security needs by providing a strategic redundancy at one of America’s key rail crossings.


Norfolk Southern (NS) Swing Bridge, Toledo, Ohio

• A century old*, two-track, swing bridge crossing the Maumee River.


* Previously owned by New York Central, neither the exact date of construction nor builder can be determined at this time and is categorized as “unknown” by HistoricalBridges.org. However, an architecturally similar bridge, the Livingston Avenue Swing Bridge outside Albany, NY, was built in 1901/02 suggesting the Maumee River swing bridge is of a similar vintage.

Norfolk Southern (NS) Swing Bridge, Toledo, Ohio • Handles 100+ freight and four Amtrak trains daily.

• Amtrak traffic is forecast to grow by as many as 8-12 trains a day.

• The bridge provides the only practical east-west rail crossing in the northern U.S.

Toledo Metropolitan Council of Governments: Map section from TMACOG Area Railroads


Freight Rail: An Essential Component of the Nation’s Economic Infrastructure

• The daily volume of freight crossing the NS Swing Bridge is equivalent to the freight transported each day over the Ohio Turnpike. • Rail tonnage in the United States is expected to increase 22 percent between 2010 and 2035. (https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0528)

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https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0528

Passenger Rail: An Essential Component of the Nation’s Economic Infrastructure • The largest portion of Amtrak’s passengers traveling cross country pass through Chicago.• Of those traveling to or from Chicago and the east coast cities of Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C. and points in between, nearly all travel over the NS swing bridge in Toledo, Ohio.


Swing Bridge Location

• Centered in the image - the NS Swing Bridge spans the Maumee River.• The “mighty” Maumee - the largest river flowing into any of the Great Lakes - can be seen emptying into Lake Erie.• More than 700 sea going and lake freighters will visit the Port of Toledo during the 2013 shipping season.• In the foreground, the major grain and commodities loading facilities of the Toledo port are located upriver of the swing bridge.• The port, railroads and swing bridge are significant economic assets for Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.


Major Risks to the Structural Integrity of the BridgeApart from structural failure, there are three external risks that could lead to the loss of the NS Swing Bridge: • Collision by a sea going freighter • An operational accident or train derailment • Sabotage or an act of terrorism


First Risk: Freighter Collision

• When open, the swing bridge provides a narrow 109 ft passageway for lake freighters, many of which are over 100 feet in width, leaving little room for navigational error.• Loaded ships returning downstream have reported being caught by the river’s current and pushed into the structure, damaging the bridge. • The risk of major damage or loss of the bridge due to collision is ever present.


Second Risk: Operator Error or Train Derailment

• Damage resulting from operator error during the normal opening and closing of the swing bridge.• Train derailments.

May 13, 2013, Jefferson drawbridge operator under investigation after bridge collides with freighter

May 26, 2013, Bridge that collapsed in Mo. train derailment had passed inspections

May 29, 2013, Fire rages for 10 hours after Baltimore chemical freight train crash


Third Risk: Sabotage and Terrorism

• Homegrown saboteurs• International economic and environmental terrorism

April 22, 2013, Reports: Canadian terror plot targeted Toronto-N.Y.C. train service. Canadian police and intelligence agencies said Monday that they’ve thwarted an Al Qaeda-supported plot.

April 23, 2013, Rush-hour, passenger trains typical target for terrorists. American broadcaster CNN added the attack would have happened in Canada, possibly on a trestle.

November 21, 1995, Sabotage in desert that killed one, hurt 78. Right-wing manifesto found at scene.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/23/world/americas/canada-terror-plot-thwarted/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-10-10/news/mn-55289_1_los-angeles-jump

Economic Consequences of a Catastrophic Bridge Failure

• U.S. economy depends on a multi-modal transportation system linking businesses with consumers, suppliers and markets.• On average, each American requires the movement of 40 tons of freight per year....” (https://www.fra.dot.gov) Of that tonnage, a significant portion travels through Toledo over the NS Swing Bridge.• In the event of a catastrophic accident to the bridge, there are no practical alternate routes available for diverting east-west freight and passenger rail traffic traversing the northern tier of the United States.• Any disruption to the flow of freight or passengers over the bridge would quickly turn into a logistical nightmare and, if prolonged, could impact the nation’s economy.• In system terms, the bridge is a “single point of failure.” Its loss would bring major portions of the nation’s freight and passenger rail systems to a halt.


https://www.fra.dot.gov

Environmental Consequences of a Catastrophic Bridge Failure• There is the potential of a major ecological disaster following a bridge failure. • The NS Swing Bridge is situated five miles up river from the mouth of the western basin of Lake Erie, the largest fishery of all the Great Lakes. • The Google maps photo illustrates the potential danger. Shown is a freight train hauling multiple chemical tanker cars stopped on the bridge during a routine crew change.


OVERVIEW OF STATION AND BRIDGE

One Possible Solution• Space for a second bridge lies to the north of the existing NS Swing Bridge.• The path of the second bridge follows a more direct route to Union Station.• Open land is available on both sides of the river providing easy access and room for construction.• On the east side of the river, the Miami Street overpass needs excavating and a replacement overpass lengthened allowing for additional tracks underneath the roadway.


One Possible Solution• A new bridge could be constructed with little or no disruption to rail or shipping traffic.•The bridge would carry 2-4 tracks servicing both freight and passenger rail.•Following an ‘alternatives analysis’ and engineering plans, construction could be completed in two years at a total cost of ~$250 million.


If a decision is made to build a second rail bridge across the Maumee, what type of bridge is likely to be constructed? Extreme grades eliminate both tunneling under the river and a fixed, high-flyover bridge, leaving three options:

• Bascule lift bridge • swing-span bridge • vertical-lift bridge.

Of the three, a vertical lift bridge offers several significant benefits compared to the bascule and swing-span bridge. (Leonardo Fernyyndez Troyano, Bridge Engineering: A Global Perspective, 2003)

• In general, Vertical lift bridges cost less to build for longer moveable spans. (The width of the opening will likely exceed that of the Martin Luther King bascule bridge in order to create an unobstructed channel opening of ~200’, providing ships with space to better navigate through the narrow 109’ opening of the swing bridge immediately to the south.)

• Similar to an elevator, counterweights in a vertical lift are only required to be equal to the weight of the deck, whereas bascule bridge counterweights must weigh several times as much as the span being lifted, meaning, heavier materials can be used in the deck of the vertical lift bridge, a requirement for heavy railroad use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bascule_bridge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_bridge

Middlegrounds Rail Lift Bridge Solution• Building on the success of the recently completed and widely popular Le Pont Chaban Delmas Vertical Lift Bridge in Bordeaux, France, a vision is offered of what is possible for the Middlegrounds Bridge.


Middlegrounds Lift Bridge Solution• The new bridge would serve as an essential and integral part of Lucas County’s planned Middlegrounds Metropark by incorporating a walking/biking path thereby opening both sides of the river to pedestrian traffic.


Lift Bridge Construction• Adopting techniques used in constructing the Le Pont Chaban Delmas lift bridge, the Middlegrounds Bridge can be built without disruption to rail or shipping traffic. (http://www.bridgeweb.com/Article/default.aspx?&id=2223&typeid=8)

• Shown below, a temporary roadway has been constructed allowing work to progress in pouring the pilings and erecting the main lift towers.


http://www.bridgeweb.com/Article/default.aspx?&id=2223&typeid=8

Lift Bridge Construction• Major portions of the structure are put in place leaving open the center channel for shipping.


Lift Bridge Construction• Bridge spans would be constructed in either Toledo or Cleveland, and loaded on a barge for shipment to the work site.


Lift Bridge Construction• Once loaded, barges are floated up river.


Lift Bridge Construction• Using hydraulic lifts, spans are raised then rotated and the barge carefully guided into position using a system of cables and pulleys where the bridge spans are then lowered into place and attached to the concrete pilings.


Lift Bridge Construction• The central channel remains open to shipping throughout all phases of construction until the final span is maneuvered into place and attached to the four lift towers.


Construction Completed• With the center span attached, the bridge is finished and ready for operation.


Bridge Stakeholders• A project of this size includes a variety of stakeholders. • The following list is not complete but contains many of those likely affected by the building of the Middlegrounds Bridge. • Bridge stakeholders include, in no particular order:


Norfolk Southern CSX Amtrak Lucas County City of Toledo Ohio AFL-CIO International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers United Steel Workers United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners International Association of Bridge, Structural &

Ornamental Iron Workers

TMACOG Lucas County Metroparks Northwest Ohio Interurban JPA Toledo Port Authority U.S. Coast Guard Army Corps of Engineers Archer Daniels Midland Company Anderson’s Grain ODOT

Summary• A good case can be made for adding rail capacity over the Maumee River at Toledo. However, an even stronger case exists for the need of a second bridge for reasons of national economic security. • There are potential catastrophic risks to the structural integrity of the current bridge - the lone river crossing for a large portion of freight rail and virtually all passenger trains between Chicago and the east coast - that could make it unusable bringing significant portions of U.S. rail traffic to a halt. • In system terms, the crossing over the Maumee River is a “single point of failure.”• The economic consequences of such a failure would be systemic and national in scope with the added possibility of severe environmental consequences for Lake Erie in the event of an accompanying toxic spill.• One solution may reside in building a second and larger bridge near the existing crossing.• A second bridge could service both freight and passenger rail and be constructed with little or no disruption to existing rail or shipping traffic.• A second bridge would add needed fluidity to a well known choke point in the nation’s rail system while strengthening a critical component of America’s national security infrastructure.


Conclusion• The current swing bridge crossing the Maumee River at Toledo is a recognized choke point in the rail system.• There is need for additional trackage crossing the river. For now, exactly where and how this should be done is unclear.• The century old, two-track swing bridge is a “single point of failure” in the rail system that urgently needs addressing.• Regardless of the final solution for an added crossing of the Maumee River by rail, the study and planning for that solution should begin immediately.


Toledo’s Rail Lift Bridge of the Future

Addendum


Toledo’s NS swing bridge has a “sister” in New York. The Livingston Avenue Bridge crossing the Hudson River connects Albany with Rensselaer. The “sister” bridge was originally built in 1866 but replaced in 1901-02 with a rotating swing bridge similar to the one in Toledo. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livingston_Avenue_Bridge)Due to the deteriorated condition of the bridge, trains cross one at a time at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). New York officials consider the swing bridge mechanism to be unreliable and the overall bridge design inadequate for current railroad operating standards. In 2012, The New York State Department of Transportation identified the Livingston Avenue Bridge as a critical link in its Empire Corridor passenger rail line, and initiated a study project for bridge rehabilitation or replacement.

The rationale offered for initiation of the New York study is similar in nature to the one made in support of a second bridge crossing the Maumee. As stated in the New York Master Plan, “The Livingston Avenue Bridge is a critical link in New York’s rail infrastructure and Amtrak’s national rail passenger network. It connects New York City and New England with Buffalo, Chicago and the western United States. The viability of this structure is therefore essential to providing passenger rail service within the State.” (http://www.cdtcmpo.org/revest/livingston.htm)

The argument for initiation of the New York study is compelling. New York officials understand the strategic importance of that bridge for their state. Nonetheless, as strong as the New York case may be, the case for initiation of a similar study for a second crossing over the Maumee is more compelling in that the Toledo crossing, unlike the Livingston Bridge, 1) handles considerably more freight traffic and 2) if the Maumee River cannot be crossed there are no practical alternate east-west routes for freight or Amtrak traffic, effectively halting much of the east-west rail traffic across the northern tier of the United States.

Livingston Avenue Bridge, Albany, NY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livingston_Avenue_Bridge

Author Affiliations

Jerry W. Wicks, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Sociology, Bowling Green State University Director, Ohio Higher Education Rail Network Institute Member, Public Transit and Passenger Rail Committee, Toledo Metropolitan Council of Governments Board Member, All Aboard Ohio

The Ohio Higher Education Rail Network (OHERN) Institute is an educational and research division of All Aboard Ohio.

OHERN’s principle goal is strengthening higher education through research into the social, demographic and economic effects of integrating passenger rail and public transit with college life. (OHERN.ORG)

All Aboard Ohio is a non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to promoting improved public transportation and passenger rail service throughout the state.

All Aboard Ohio exists to increase public awareness of the need to improve and increase safe and efficient intercity passenger rail and local public transportation service in Ohio and throughout the United States by conducting nonpartisan research and educational and informational activities.

All Aboard Ohio is incorporated in Ohio as a non-profit association and exempt from federal income tax under the IRS Code, section 501(c)(3), as a publicly supported educational organization. Dues and donations to All Aboard Ohio are tax-deductible in accordance with the IRS code.

Middlegrounds Vertical Lift Bridge Document Update: April, 2015


maumee river rr_lift_bridge_train_day2015

Engineering

current bridge

similar bridge

current rail

freight rail traffic

maumee river swing bridge

rail tonnage

passenger rail systems

bridgeoperator error