BNSF Bridge 8.8 Walkway Replacement
Project Details
Owner: BNSF Railway
Location: Portland, OR | December 2024 – December 2025
Advanced American Construction (AAC) replaced deteriorated timber walkways on BNSF Bridge 8.8 with modern steel components, restoring safe inspection and maintenance access to the moveable bridge and its piers. The scope included approximately 500 feet of inspection walkway, 360-degree pivot pier access, pier protection access, emergency access ladders, and repair of rotted timber piles.
Work was performed from a derrick barge to minimize disruption to both rail and marine traffic. Challenges included non-uniform and decaying walkways, limited as-built information, and busier-than-usual marine traffic that required daily coordination and temporary shutdowns.
AAC collaborated closely with BNSF and HNTB to address design issues in real time, performing extensive field fabrication and modifications to achieve project goals.
Project Highlights
- Replaced 500’ of inspection walkways, pivot pier access, and protection pier access
- Work completed without delays to rail or marine traffic
- Project required extensive field fabrication and modification due to limited as-built data.
- Project completed injury-free, on schedule, and to BNSF standards