Railroad workers replacing fallen bridge over Scotts Creek

Norfolk-Southern Railway employees were at work today replacing a 100-foot trestle over Scotts Creek in James City.

The steel bridge sank about four feet at 10 a.m. Sunday just after a locomotive with 13 freight cars passed over it on the way to the Morehead City Port.

Repairs to the 10-foot high bridge are expected to be complete by Friday, allowing rail traffic to resume, said Robin Chapman, spokesman for Norfolk Southern in Norfolk.

"We were aware there were issues with this bridge and had scheduled to replace it in the next couple of weeks," he said. About 10 trains a week traveled over the bridge, which was built in the early 1980s.

Chapman said the company does routine inspections of its tracks and bridges. Since the bridge cave-in did not result in an accident there was no requirement that the railroad report it.

The bridge collapse stopped all trains through New Bern on their way to the Morehead City Port, Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune until the work is complete.

"Jet fuel can get to the Marine Corps Air Station by truck, as can some of the other commodities, but I'm not aware of an alternate for serving the port," Chapman said. "Goods going in and out of the port pretty much depend on the train."

Neal Ganaway, plant manager of Ready Mixed Concrete Company of Havelock, said the interruption in rail freight to that company will not stop production. The company has a standing order for at least one rail car of concrete but can supplement with trucks until the trains are running again.

In April, a group of 22 people paddling on waters near Scotts Creek was concerned enough about the condition of the bridge to photograph it and contact officials at the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Railroad Division.

"The upright steel structure was rusted out about half-way through," said Elmer Eddy, who is with the White Oak Stewards organization. "It was very alarming for us. We took pictures and sent them to the safety engineer for railroads for the Transportation Division of NCDOT."

He said he had return communications from DOT officials but did not know whether they called it to the attention of Norfolk-Southern officials.

Chapman said he did not know whether the company was notified.

He said erroneous information has been circulating that all trains going from Greensboro should go 10 mph over trestles until further notice.

A spokesman for N.C. Department of Transportation said the state provides basic enforcement of federal regulation on the railroads through a state program partly funded with federal money.

The bridge is part of 317 miles of railway from Morehead City to Charlotte owned by the N.C. Railroad and leased to Norfolk Southern for freight and Amtrak for passenger service.

Drew C. Wilson of the Havelock News contributed to this story.