Time for a quick update on the Gold Line and Northwest Electrified Segment (NWES).
Crews have been busy at work on the Jersey Cutoff (which I covered in an earlier post), marking some of the most visible construction along the Gold Line and NWES. Situated just south and west of the Mousetrap, this bridge is easily visible from I-70 and serves a critical function in both RTD and the freight rail’s operations in this busy corridor. The bridge will allow Gold Line and NWES trains to travel up and over the Jersey Cutoff as the trains travel north. The bridge will drop the trains back down to ground level before they travel underneath I-70. Without it, neither the Gold Line nor NWES could function.
Courtesy of RTD, we have a slideshow of the construction. The location is hard to get to and find a good angle, so these pictures are awesome to show the breadth and magnitude of this bridge – its BIG.
wow.. that is a lot bigger than I thought. That will provide the city (and commuters) some pretty cool sights as the train is headed into Union Station.
The freight railroads will be passing doublestack container trains under this, so it needs to be quite high!
(I should correct myself. The freight railroads are *reserving clearance in case they want to* pass doublestack container trains under this. I’m not sure they will actually do so.)
Great update but I think I’m missing something here. I’ve looked at both the Fastracks flyover video and Google Earth and for the life of me can’t figure out what exactly is this bridge crossing over? I know the the trains are going to be going under I-70 but where is the bridge starting? Thanks.
the Jersey Cutoff is basically a large bridge over the fright tracks that turn off to the east before going under I70.
Thanks Robert! I get it now.
Great update. According to the FasTracks Gold line video flyover the line runs parallel to and east of the existing freight tracks. Does the Gold line cross 38th ave west of the current rail bridge and then somehow needs to cross over the freight tracks before going under I-70? Just curious. Thanks.
The Gold Line comes up the east side of the railroads and crosses 38th Avenue. The girders already have been set for this bridge; if you get the opportunity to drive under the “subway” there, you will see them.
The Jersey Cutoff bridge takes the commuter rail up and over a single set of new freight tracks that are needed so freight rail cars can get to businesses north of I-70 and east of the commuter rail. If you look at the current configuration, a rail spur turns northeast very near I-70 and it is this rail spur that needed to be accommodated by a Jersey Cutoff bridge.
Does anyone know when the railroad tie manufacturing facility comes down?
Thanks Bruce – that’s correct. As for when the tie manufacturing facility comes down, I’m not exactly sure. Let me look into that.
The replacement site in Pueblo is supposed to have opened already, though I don’t know if that happened:
http://www.southsidebusiness.com/southside/index.php/325-pueblo-to-get-100-new-manufacturering-jobs-rocla-concrete-tie-will-build-new-production-facility-in-pueblo
I’d assume the existing facility would start coming down as soon as the company finished moving operations to Pueblo.
Thanks Bruce! It makes sense now.
The Rocla Concrete Tie Co. plant demolition is now underway with interior abatement. Exterior will begin shortly.
By the way, the Jersey cutoff spur track will have two lead tracks off the BNSF instead of the single track that is there today, but they will converge into the single track before getting under I-70.