The new Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad trestle at Horine Road and North Fifth Street in Festus is in place and the road has re-opened to traffic.
Railroad crews began replacing it at 8 a.m. Wednesday and worked throughout the day and most of the night installing it.
“When I became mayor of Festus nearly four years ago, this project was a top priority,” Mayor Sam Richards said. “With the cooperation of BNSF, the help of state Rep. Becky Ruth and the persistence of City Administrator Greg Camp and Public Works Director Matt Unrein, we can say the job is done.”
No center support was needed for the new trestle, so the crossing below is wider, making it easier for larger vehicles to pass underneath.
Over the years, drivers struck the old trestle, including twice within one month during 2016. That year, a box truck struck the trestle on March 8 and a truck pulling a grader on a trailer struck it on April 4. BNSF inspected the trestle after those crashes and determined it was still structurally sound.
In early 2021, Festus officials announced that BNSF intended to replace the wood trestle with one made of concrete and steel.
The railroad began preliminary work on the project in September 2022, and since then Horine Road at the trestle has been closed periodically while crews worked to replace the trestle.