RailRoadFan.com

Michigan - Manistee River Bridge Replacement Project (Up to $20,385,000)
Michigan Department of Transportation (DOT)

The proposed project involves final design and construction activities to replace the Manistee River Bridge, which was built in 1888 and currently has many components that are in poor or critical condition. The project aligns with the selection criteria by improving system and service performance and ability to meet existing or anticipated demand as it will help restore railroad timetable speeds, increase the load rating of the structure to allow 286,000-pound railcars, and preserve rail service to commodity shippers in the northwest lower peninsula of Michigan. The infrastructure this project will take place on is owned by Michigan DOT and leased to Great Lakes Central Railroad. Michigan DOT and Great Lakes Central Railroad will contribute funds totaling a 40 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.

Does MDOT have a timeframe for when work will begin to replace the exciting bridge?

they got somewhat serious at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020.
see this thread http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=36765
so it will happen someday...maybe.

Wonder if this will allow 1225 to venture further north finally?

Where is the proper location of this bridge?

So the FRA posted that yesterday...in a project summary of fiscal year 2022, which ended a year ago. Have other projects on the list made more progress than the Manistee bridge? Too tired at the moment to research it further.

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot ... s_PDFa.pdf

The funding is from the 2022 budget but the projects were just announced. There's a whole grant application process that has to be completed before these projects are selected and ultimately funded.

And the application process for federal grants is long and it ain’t cheap!

MiddleMI wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:23 pm

Where is the proper location of this bridge?

The proper location is centered on the right of way over the Manistee River.

Mile 350.66. 44°29.8349'N 85°25.5326'W

Article on this in today's Cadillac News. Link won't post for me on my phone. I believe you will have to register to read it.

Also heard from my sources in GLC that there was a mdot approved project in Howell as well, but didn't go into detail. Not sure if anyone else has heard anything about that.

ATTM4150 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 29, 2023 1:10 pm

Also heard from my sources in GLC that there was a mdot approved project in Howell as well, but didn't go into detail. Not sure if anyone else has heard anything about that.

this from fy2021?

Michigan – Great Lakes Corridor Improvement (Up to $21,340,300) Michigan Department of Transportation

The proposed project will rehabilitate track and rail assets operated by the Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC) just north of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Specifically, the project includes installing 4.25 miles of new rail, eliminating joints on an additional 41.25 mainline track miles, replacing or rehabilitating 11 bridges and culverts, and installing approximately 30,000 ties on mainline and siding track. In total, it will eliminate 16 slow orders covering a critical 45-mile section of the 260-mile mainline corridor and will result in fewer track defects, derailments, and other maintenance problems associated with rail joints. The project qualifies for the statutorily required set-aside for rural investment. Michigan DOT and the Class II GLC will provide a 50 percent match.

Manistee River railroad bridge replacement receives $20M federal boost
by Roxanne Werly

Fri, September 29th 2023, 12:06 PM EDT


Manistee River railroad bridge replacement receives a federal boost (MDOT)




...
WEXFORD COUNTY, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU) -- The replacement of railroad bridge over the Manistee River is getting a financial boost from the federal government.


The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced this week that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) was awarded up to $20 million to replace the bridge north of Manton.

The project involves final design and construction activities to replace the Manistee River railroad bridge, which has many components that are in poor or critical condition.

"MDOT is pleased to be awarded this CRISI grant to replace the Manistee River railroad bridge that is well past its useful life," said State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich, P.E. "Replacing this structure will ensure today's heavier freight railroad cars will be able to cross the bridge and that there will be no disruptions to northern Michigan supply chains."
By improving service performance and the ability to meet demands, it will help restore railroad timetable speeds, increase the load rating of the structure to allow 286,000-pound railcars, and preserve rail service to commodity shippers in the northwestern Lower Peninsula.

Located on state-owned railroad that is leased to Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC).

The total project estimated cost is $34 million, with the FRA contributing $20 million, MDOT contributing $13 million, and GLC contributing $750,000.

"Replacing the Manistee River railroad bridge will lower the cost of shipping goods and materials in Michigan by rail, which is critical because rail freight is one of the most fuel-efficient ways to move goods and materials over land," said Michigan Chief Infrastructure Officer Zachary Kolodin. "This grant builds on Michigan's incredible momentum implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The state has now won three awards for rail infrastructure, totaling nearly $45 million in investment, and over $7.4 billion overall from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."
The project is estimated to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2027.

MLie has a picture of a CSX locomotive over the headline for this story.

Hopefully this bridge remodel will allow 1225 to go north to Petoskey and TC, and what I heard, more shipments could go north as well, so the possibility of new customers on the line. Sounds like a good next couple of years for business in Northern Michigan

dalek ling wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:40 pm

Hopefully this bridge remodel will allow 1225 to go north to Petoskey and TC, and what I heard, more shipments could go north as well, so the possibility of new customers on the line. Sounds like a good next couple of years for business in Northern Michigan

The bridge historically kept large PRR steam power stuck south of Cadillac. I believe the largest steam allowed over the bridge historically was L class 2-8-2's.

MQT1223 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 03, 2023 6:29 pm

dalek ling wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:40 pm

Hopefully this bridge remodel will allow 1225 to go north to Petoskey and TC, and what I heard, more shipments could go north as well, so the possibility of new customers on the line. Sounds like a good next couple of years for business in Northern Michigan

The bridge historically kept large PRR steam power stuck south of Cadillac. I believe the largest steam allowed over the bridge historically was L class 2-8-2's.

According to the 1932 Employee Time Table Class N2 2-10-2 with tender under 15000 water capacity were allowed to cross Bridge 350.66 at a maximum speed of 10 mph.

Locomotive and tender weight was approximately 458,000 lb

^ This. The N2 class 2-10-2s were the largest power used regularly on the PRR in Michigan, and were pretty much the standard freight haulers, with H class 2-8-0s handling most everything else and G class 4-6-0s wheeling passenger trains. Every PRR engine assignment sheet I’ve seen from the 40s for Grand Rapids never even listed any Mikados.