WYDOT invites public to review plans of $7.4 million project

The Wyoming Department of Transportation has scheduled a public meeting for the Ranchester railroad bridge replacement project scheduled to be let for bidding in August.

The public is invited to join WYDOT on Tuesday, April 27, at 6 p.m. at the Ranchester Town Hall to review final design plans, potential schedule and detour plans. 

This $7.4 million project will replace the existing bridge over the BNSF railroad located on the east end of the town of Ranchester with a new structure.

According to WYDOT, the existing structure, originally built in 1947, is structurally deficient and in poor condition. This bridge has a low load rating that cannot be improved with minor upgrades or improvements. In order for the bridge to meet current load ratings, a replacement of the structure is necessary.  The new bridge will be raised and widened to accommodate BNSF specifications. The road and bridge will be realigned to the south to reduce the curve. The bridge structure will also include a 7’7” sidewalk with a pedestrian safety fence on the west side and 9’ curbs on both sides and a 36 foot roadway.

In addition to replacing the bridge, the existing roadway section from the I-90 overpass to the US 14 Coffeen Street intersection will be rehabilitated utilizing the crack and seat techniques with an asphalt overlay.

The crack and seat technique is a method by which contractors break down the existing concrete pavement into one and a half to two foot pieces and firmly seat the pieces into the subgrade prior to overlaying with asphalt.

This structure is a heavily used mainline route for the railroad and it was determined that an at-grade crossing would be insufficient as a detour route due to the anticipated delays and the lack of adequate hold area for traffic. 

According to a news release from WYDOT, the bridge will be constructed in two stages. In Stage I, traffic will remain on the mainline while the eastbound lane is being constructed. During Stage II, traffic will shift to the newly constructed eastbound lane with one lane, head to head traffic for both east and west bound traffic with a traffic signal at either end of the project.

During Stage II, traffic will be directed through the construction area utilizing pilot cars and flagging operations.