Pecos Street Overpass Project

Summary Information Railroad Union Pacific Overview Raise Pecos Street at the north end of North Yard to run over the tracks leading into and out of North Yard and the Belt Line, as well as BNSF's Front Range Sub. Purpose At the north end of North Yard, four tracks cross Pecos Street that see a high volume of trains during the course of day. Two of the tracks are Bypass tracks where coal trains stop to cut out swing helpers and tie down. When a coal train is ready to leave in either direction, Pecos is blocked once the train is reassembled, and it remains blocked until the train leaves. At times, Pecos is blocked for up to two hours. Plan Pecos Street will be blocked off on either side of the construction site for the duration of the project. A new overpass will be built for Pecos Street that will put Pecos above UP's tracks as well as BNSF's Front Range Subdivisoin. Detail Information Timeline Construction is projected to take between 8 and 12 months. Adams County is hopeful that construction can begin (or at least be contracted out) in 2008. Major Obstacles 1. Funding. The project is estimated to cost $40 million. The Federal Government has put up $10 million for the project and Union Pacific has agreed to pay an undetermined amount. The remaining funding has yet to be identified. Project Updates 6/15/2011 - The girders for the new bridge have been completed over the UP tracks. 6/1/2011 - UP has moved the signal bridge at the Pecos Crossover for westbound trains east. The new bridge will be just east of the new Pecos bridge. It had to be moved because it would not have been visible in its old location (due to the new bridge). 9/1/2011 - Work on the overpass is finally progressing. A new Form B has been placed on all four tracks on the UP and the Form B will remain for the duration of the project. 7/5/2007 - A Rocky Mountain News Story (see link below) reveals that the Pecos Grade Separation will result in an overpass for Pecos, rather than an underpass as original thought. About half of the money for the project has been identified. Adams County hopes to find the remaining funds and start the construction process in 2008. 7/27/2006 - Construction on the Pecos Underpass has still not started, but the "turnarounds" on either side of the grade crossing have had their white lines re-applied. 12/9/2005 - Construction has not yet started, but is scheduled to start soon after the start of the new year. Cement barricades have been brought in to block off traffic on Pecos and make room for cars to turn around. Start Date 8/1/2011 Completion Date Total Duration Additional Photos Images from the Pecos Street grade crossing in December 2005, prior to the start of construction. Additional Links Rocky Mountain News Story - In a Rocky Mountain News story, it is revealed that the Pecos Grade Separation project will now create an overpass for Pecos, rather than an underpass. Roughly half the funding has been identified, with Adams County hoping to get the remaining money in 2008.