California High-Speed Rail Authority bridge issue—CHSRA responds

CHSRA has created 6,000 construction jobs.

CHSRA

Ed. Note: Last week, RT&S ran a news story on the severe problems the California High-Speed Rail Authority has been having with a vehicular traffic bridge that crosses the CHSRA right-of-way and the BNSF mainline. CHSRA saw the article, and agency Public Information Officer Kyle Simerly prepared the following short article to provide additional insight into the bridge issues from CHSRA’s perpsective. We appreciate their feedback. DCL

The Process Works: California High-Speed Rail identifies, begins fixes on isolated bridge problem

Building a grade-separated high-speed rail corridor designed to carry trains at speeds in excess of 220 mph presents many challenges in design and engineering opportunities. There will be setbacks and there will be successes as the project moves forward.

Of the dozens of structures under construction in California’s Central Valley, none are like the Road 27 bridge, which consists of four spliced precast and prestressed concrete girders. The girders have seven connected sections, each with steel strands inside for post tensioning and to provide strength. Though this bridge is unique to our project, it is not unique in bridge engineering. Examples can be found across the county.

So, that some of these strands have been compromised is disappointing but not unheard of. And even though almost all the strands in the girders are working as designed, anything short of 100% is unacceptable. This unfortunate but isolated issue is exactly what the Authority’s inspections and processes are for.

Because of our inspections, the work will be redone at the cost of the contractor. Safety is a top priority, and the Authority is committed to ensuring the Road 27 structure is built safely. In the meantime, the girder sections are supported from below in an abundance of caution, and work on other aspects of the structure continues.

In September, the Authority Board of Directors will hold an oversight meeting on this structure to hear more about the cause and the corrective action plan moving forward. The Authority is committed to full transparency.

In short, this situation illustrates how the process worked and is working.

The system will feature two more bridges elsewhere like this one. This experience, and the Authority’s ability to learn from it, will be to those structures’ and the whole system’s benefit. Meanwhile, construction continues at 32 sites along 119 miles of the Central Valley.