Multi‐Year Railroad Task‐Based Contract

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) owns and is responsible for the maintenance and capital improvements of, approximately 370 railroad bridges. These structures are located throughout the state on both commuter and freight corridors. Railroads operating on this infrastructure include Amtrak, Metro‐North Railroad, CSX, and several smaller regional railroads. Many of these structures were originally constructed in the late 19th century and have, by today’s standards, inadequate vertical clearance over the roads below. Deterioration due to age and unpredictable damage caused by collisions from over‐height vehicles are potential contributors to structural deficiencies in these bridges. CTDOT awarded a series of statewide contracts for on‐call railroad bridge engineering services. A major component of these contracts is asset/bridge management to inventory the railroad bridge network, recommend repair work, and prioritize system needs. Lochner has been continuously awarded the engineering and asset management contracts since 2000.

During this time, Lochner performed field assessments of numerous structures to determine deficiencies and recommend appropriate remedial actions. Lochner developed an overall bridge repair program that prioritized the repairs and rehabilitation efforts on an annual basis as well as estimated the associated construction costs. Work includes the immediate development and field supervision of repairs for safety critical deficiencies and the development of repair plans for important, but not critical, deficiencies. The project requires significant interaction with CTDOT and the operating railroads to ensure that all repair and rehabilitation work is developed and scheduled to minimize disruption to the rail service.

Lochner has been involved with approximately 120 bridges that encompassed a range of materials, such as steel, concrete, masonry, timber, and a range of structure types, including truss, girder, arch, bascules, and swing spans. Detailed repair plans were developed for more than 50 bridges statewide. Additional improvements include station facilities, historic structures, and environmental studies.