Jackson Street Railroad Bridge Replacement

Benesch provided design services for the Jackson Street rail bridge as part of a larger project that also included the replacement of the nearby Mechanic Street bridge. The 100-year-old Jackson Street rail bridge carries two tracks of Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) owned rail on which AMTRAK and Norfolk Southern operate.

Benesch’s design solution for replacing the bridge reduced interruptions to rail and vehicular traffic thanks to Acceleration Bridge Construction (ABC) erection methods. In a matter of hours, the Jackson Street rail bridge in Jackson, Michigan, was rolled into place The new bridge was build off-alignment and, using a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT), was rolled into place over the course of just a few hours in order to reduce traffic disruptions for both rail and vehicular traffic. Precast concrete elements were utilized to reduce substructure construction time.

The project also called for the reconstruction of grade crossing and approaches on Blackstone Road, replacing retaining walls along the railroad tracks, rebuilding and raising railroad track, and adding a nonmotorized pathway under the Mechanic Street railroad bridge.

The new bridge improves railroad operations while providing safe facilities for rail, road and nonmotorized users. Check out a time-lapse video from the Michigan Department Transportation below.