For Immediate Release: April 15, 2022
Coos Bay, OR -

Construction of the new Coalbank Slough Bridge has completed and the bridge has been reopened to rail traffic. It is anticipated that the first train to cross the bridge to deliver cars to GMA garnet will run next week. Funded through a combination of $20MM in Federal grant funds through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program as well as $5MM in grant funds through the State of Oregon, this project included the dismantling and disposal of the old bridge structure and replacing it with a new fixed span bridge.

This marks the completion of the first phase of the BUILD program of projects, which will also include improvements to ten steel bridges in the Wild Cat Creek area, rehabilitation of all three swing span bridges along the line, and significant improvements to the Vaughn Viaduct bridge near Noti, Oregon.

The former bridge structure was a non-operating deck plate girder swing-span bridge. Bridge repairs conducted by the previous owner of the rail line included the removal of the swing mechanism and the addition of intermediate bents to support the center section of the bridge, making it essentially a fixed continuous deck plate girder structure for over thirty years.

The construction process for this project began on December 13, 2021, and concluded in mid-April of 2022. The Port contracted with Legacy Construction as the prime contractor for the project.

The new Coalbank Slough bridge connects the last 16.5 miles of the rail line to the north end of the CBRL and access to the National Railway Network through the Union Pacific rail yard in Eugene. Replacement of this bridge will be instrumental in facilitating rail traffic to the Port owned Terminal One facility, or former Georgia Pacific Mill site.

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For more information regarding this special event please contact:
Margaret Barber, Director of External Affairs and Business Development
Oregon International Port of Coos Bay
mbarber@portofcoosbay.com, 541-267-7678