Western Railroad Discussion > Tempe Bridge Repair Progress (Arizona)

Some have called it the Tempe Bridge over Salt River. Some have called it Bridge over Tempe Town Lake. I see both Salt River and Tempe Town Lake marked on a map, so I guess there is no one answer.

There was a derailment of a UP train over the bridge in late July:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5074355

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5074340

Since I don't live nearby, I wasn't able to document the initial repair and reconstruction of the bridge. I was in Arizona last week, so I decided to pay a visit to see how the repair was progressing. I had caught a westbound train over the bridge in early July, and in the process, scouted the area. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the bridge before the derailment (I'm definitely not clairvoyant), but I had a good idea what the area looked like before.

I gave myself time to loiter in the area before heading to the airport to go home. A westbound (into Phoenix) eventually showed up before I headed to lunch, and that's the train in the video. Radio chatter from the yard said this train was the MHNPX, (Herrington, KS to Phoenix manifest).

The bridge before the derailment had 9 truss sections, 2 smaller ones at the ends, and 7 larger ones in the middle. The derailment took out the 1 small truss and 1 larger truss on the south end, with 7 total remaining. The span lost its symmetry, but as the saying goes, form follows function.

- Photo from the south end looking north. Steel girder and concrete sections replace the 2 trusses that were destroyed in the derailment. Concrete is still drying for the north pillar over the road.

- Nearby, looking south. The wood sections have been replaced with concrete sections.

- Video of MHNPX going over the bridge.

---

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Neat report. It looks like a really nice bridge. 

Before MHNPX showed up, I had time to document Valley Metro Rail going in either direction. You should be able to count the remaining trusses as I panned and followed the light rail vehicles.

- Severed pipes on the last truss on the south end.

- Video of Valley Metro Rail.

That's it for the report.

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Interesting information, Charles. The sometimes wannabe Civil Engineer in me finds this sort of thing fascinating.

Jim B

It is  the Salt River damned up to make Tempe Town Lake so both.
 

mococomike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is  the Salt River damned up to make Tempe
> Town Lake so both.
>  

Right its the Salt River bed filled with CAP water from the Colorado River and reclaimed water, aka partially treated sewage. It's pretty nasty stuff that will cause chemical burns to skin if exposed long enough. 

Don't they do the Tempe Ironman event in this lake? And I believe you can fish and kajak or paddle boat here too. Maybe not so nasty water after all.