MVRRA, MPL continue the push west to rehab rail

Posted Dec. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM
 

Since 2001, more than 30 miles of the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority (MVRRA) rail line have been rehabilitated. The line, which runs 94.5 miles from east to west starting at Norwood Young America and ending near Hanley Falls, has seen speeds increase to 25 miles per hour along that portion of upgrade line, with increased numbers of rail cars heading to market over the 14 years it has been operating.  The work continued in 2015, said Julie Rath of the Redwood Area Development Corporation, who serves as the administrator for the MVRRA.  “This year we did a bridge retrofit in Arlington,” said Rath, adding the bridge was completely replaced. “A four-foot walkway was also added to the east side.”  That walkway, explained Rath, is an added safety measure.

The cost for the bridgework was just over $540,000, with three additional bridges in Sibley County converted to box culverts along the line. Those three projects came in at a cost of $938,800. The funds for that work came from leftover bonding allocation dollars via the State of Minnesota from 2008, 2009 and 2010 that were compiled to get the bridge work done.

“In the places where we put in the box culverts you can’t even tell there was a bridge there!   Click here to read the complete article from the Redwood Falls Gazette