The Rulo Rail Bridge is a

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

across the Missouri River connecting

Rulo, Nebraska Rulo is a village in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 144 at the 2020 census. History Rulo was laid out in 1857. It was named for Charlie Rouleau, the original owner of the town site. In 1933, the foundation for ...

, with

Holt County, Missouri Holt County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,223. It's county seat is Oregon. The county was organized February 15, 1841. Originally named Nodaway County ...

, and is used by the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

to transport coal from Wyoming and Colorado to Midwest power plants. The original bridge was built in 1887. It was fabricated in England and reassembled at Rulo. In the summer of 1977 the steel truss was replaced in 48 hours when sections of the new bridge were assembled on either side of the river, then lifted onto

falsework Falsework consists of temporary structures used in construction to support a permanent structure until its construction is sufficiently advanced to support itself. For arches, this is specifically called centering. Falsework includes temporary su ...

towers on barges on both sides of the up and downstream sides. The new bridge was placed on the upstream towers and the old bridge was moved to the downstream side and then new bridge was placed on the original 1887 piers. The total cost of the operation was $6.7 million. Prior to the replacement only grain rather than coal trains could cross the bridge.

References

Lincoln Star The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in N ...

(

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

), July 7, 1977, Page 5

External links

* {{coord, 40.054444, -95.420833, display=title Railroad bridges in Nebraska Railroad bridges in Missouri Buildings and structures in Holt County, Missouri Buildings and structures in Richardson County, Nebraska Bridges completed in 1887 Bridges over the Missouri River BNSF Railway bridges Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Historic American Engineering Record in Missouri Historic American Engineering Record in Nebraska Interstate railroad bridges in the United States Steel bridges in the United States

See also

References

External links