Western Railroad Discussion > New truss bridge for I-215 in Grand Terrace CA

Anyone driving along the I-215 in the Grand Terrance, CA, area can't help but notice construction of a truss bridge is underway. I had a closer look last Saturday (22 Feb 2014).

1) The truss that's visible to anyone passing on the I-215 freeway. The yard where it's being constructed is northeast of the current BNSF double-track bridge over the freeway, on the east side of the I-215 and bordered by De Berry St to the south of the yard. The truss bridge pictured will need to travel approximately 2500 feet down the I-215 to be placed in to service.

2) A view from the side of the yard opposite the freeway reveals another truss bridge is in earlier stages of construction.

3) A view of both spans from near the entrance of the yard at Commerce Way. I estimate the bed of each span to be approximately 12 feet wide.

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4) Construction of the piers for the new bridge is underway. The area shown is the south end of the bridge. I couldn't tell from my vantage point how many piers are currently being constructed.

5) Construction of new piers is also underway in the center of the freeway. This matches with the spans being built that appear to be just long enough to reach half way across the freeway. The piers in the foreground are what remains after the demolition of the UP/SP/PE Riverside Industrial Lead bridge last summer.

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I've seen a Caltrans document quoted multiple places stating the existing BNSF double-track bridge will be replaced by three truss bridges. I've also seen a Caltrans reference to a shoofly, but I'm not seeing anything at the construction site that suggests a temporary bridge.

I was told at the construction site that the BNSF double-track bridge will be demolished some time in May. My source is a random construction worker and I don't vouch for the accuracy of the rumor.

To me it seems like enough piers are being constructed to place two truss bridges east of the existing bridge. I wonder if the plan is to put two truss bridges in to service, demolish the existing bridge, then replace it with a third truss bridge.

I plan to try to scout the area some more in the near future, but it looks like a rainy weekend ahead so I'll probably have to delay that plan.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/14 07:58 by hilldogwoo.

A view of the existing bridge taken from the north looking south over the I-215 freeway. This shot was taken last September prior to the work shown in my other photos. The pier construction work shown in the other photos is being done to the left of the bridge shown in this photo.

The subject for this tread says Grand Terrace, but technical the bridge in question is (barely) in Colton, CA.

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I see they have already taken out the Riverside Branch bridge :-(

Cool, new urban railroad truss bridges are pretty rare, aren't they?

I don't recall seeing any other freeways with new truss bridges over them.

I always like the look of truss bridges, they add more to the scenery than the usual plate girder bridge.

Ted in OR

gobbl3gook Wrote:
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> Cool, new urban railroad truss bridges are pretty
> rare, aren't they?

There are a few (three that I can think of) along the Alameda Corridor...

As incredible as it sounds, the plan at the time the project was bid is for the two temporary bridges that are now under construction to carry a two track shoofly. The existing bridge will be demolished and two truss bridges built in that location with a third bridge for a future track to the south of them. Then the temporary bridges will be removed.

The other bridges that BNSF has built recently in the Riverside area have been of a double track bridge with a single track bridge beside it.
Guess it easier to do that then to build a triple track bridge.

Any idea how much such a thing would weigh? Not sure how much of it is attached to something else so I can't simply say 'bridge'.

Similar projects have loaded structures onto those multi-wheel flat-beds and motored them a distance, then jacked up for final placement. Don't know the details, they seem to be very flexible.

There is also some neat artwork cast into the concrete retaining walls. Artistic renditions of both wide nose diesels and ATSF warbonnet F units. Hard to get a good shot, however, account traffic.

John Gezelius
Tustin, CA

john1082 Wrote:
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> There is also some neat artwork cast into the
> concrete retaining walls. Artistic renditions of
> both wide nose diesels and ATSF warbonnet F units.
> Hard to get a good shot, however, account
> traffic.

The Artwork consists of a ATSF Freight Train, A UP RR Train and the San Bernadino Train Station

john1082 Wrote:
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> There is also some neat artwork cast into the
> concrete retaining walls. Artistic renditions of
> both wide nose diesels and ATSF warbonnet F units.
> Hard to get a good shot, however, account
> traffic.

See http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3335635 for images of the train concrete artwork.

It used to be possible to see a little bit of cut on the west side of the freeway at this location that was part of the PE Colton-Riverside line. Is that still possible or has that been erased?