Flooding and resulting debris in the fall of 2019 caused record run-off in the Missouri River Basin region, destroying Norfolk Southern track and adjoining track on the bridge that spanned the Grand River near Brunswick, Missouri. NS engaged Massman Construction to assist in rebuilding the bridge to restore service to the line as soon as possible.
Despite stiff currents and an extraordinary amount of river-born debris, Massman mobilized the needed equipment to the site within three days, including two large floating cranes, multiple barges, a tugboat and pile-driving equipment. Meanwhile, Massman convened an experienced team and worked closely with NS personnel and its consulting engineer to design a repair using available materials. Massman’s Innovative use of precast caps, along with NS’s existing surplus steel bridge spans, allowed Massman to restore service to the line rapidly and with no injuries.
NS Vice President of Engineering summed up Massman’s performance this way:
“The fact that we were able to restore service in 27 day was truly remarkable and could not have been accomplished without Massman Construction’s dedicated workforce their ability to adapt and overcome obstacles on the fly and their understanding of the sense of urgency we had to run trains. This was a true team effort and Massman Construction rose to every challenge and exceeded everyone’s expectations.”
“The NRC, aside from being the voice and representation of the railroad contracting industry, provides many great benefits to its members. One such benefit is our annual tuition assistance or Scholarship program. Since 2013, the NRC has offered this program to eligible children and grandchildren of NRC member companies. This past year, we were able to provide assistance to (6) students totaling $33,000. It is an honor to be a part of this and is truly gratifying to be able to invest in the futures of these promising students and to consistently hear how much they appreciate it.”
Track Division Manager
Railroad Construction Co.
