Don’t be surprised if you see the State Street underpass close again in the near future.
The bridge under the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks closed Oct. 8 after cement fell from the structure and remained closed basically all last week. BNSF has not responded to KVOE News questions about why the bridge reopened or why cement was falling to the street below.
City Engineer Jim Ubert says the bridge is a railroad-owned structure, meaning BNSF is responsible for all maintenance and repairs. Ubert says the railroad told the city the underpass was safe for traffic, which is why the city reopened State from Second to Fourth.
There is no timetable for when BNSF may re-close State Street. Early indications are some concrete repairs are planned but that has not been confirmed by the railroad.
