A groundbreaking rural bridge project in Buchanan County, Iowa, is demonstrating how innovative construction methods can significantly reduce costs without compromising safety. The Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) recently partnered with the county to build one of the longest railroad flat car bridges in the country, measuring 135 feet in length and 28 feet in width.
The bridge, completed in August 2024, utilized six retired railroad flat cars in its construction. The final cost was $300,000, a substantial savings compared to the estimated $900,000 price tag for traditional construction methods.
Brian Keierleber, Buchanan County engineer, emphasized the importance of exploring cost-effective approaches to rural infrastructure maintenance.
"My first priority as a county engineer is maintaining and improving public safety," Keierleber said. "Unfortunately, the economic reality is that rural counties have a large quantity of rural bridges to maintain and improve while having access to stagnant and, often, declining resources to accomplish this task."
The STC contributed $15,000 to help offset pre-engineering and design costs, as well as funding for video documentation of the construction process.
Mike Koehne, chairman of the STC and a soybean farmer from Greensburg, Indiana, highlighted the critical role of rural bridges in the agricultural supply chain.
"All areas of rural America depend on a well-maintained system of roads and bridges," Koehne said. "Our goal in supporting this project in Buchanan County is to increase awareness of these type of approaches and to encourage rural areas to utilize them in the future."
The use of railroad flat cars for bridge replacement has been validated by universities and research institutions. Buchanan County alone has replaced 34 bridges using this method over the past two decades.
Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the STC, emphasized the need for efficient use of taxpayer dollars in addressing rural infrastructure challenges.
"The condition of our nation's rural bridges is a problem we simply cannot spend our way out of," Steenhoek said. "We need to promote ways to make the taxpayer dollar stretch further without compromising safety."
This project builds on the STC's earlier efforts to promote innovative rural bridge solutions, including their 2021 report "Top 20 Innovations for Rural Bridge Replacement and Repair."
As rural communities continue to grapple with infrastructure maintenance challenges, projects like the Buchanan County bridge offer a promising model for cost-effective and safe solutions.
