The Orange County Commissioners Court voted on Monday to send a letter to the U.S. Coast Guard expressing its opposition to permanently closing the railroad swing bridge over the Sabine River in the Echo area.
“It needs maintenance and repair work, but the railroad wants to close it,” County Judge Carl Thibodeaux said. “We’re afraid it would impede boat traffic and the ability to clean the river.”
Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the bridge, applied to the U.S. Coast Guard to deactivate the bridge’s swinging capability. According to the public notice issued by the Coast Guard, on July 14, no requests to open the bridge have been made since Hurricane Rita struck the area in September 2005. However, the Sabine River Authority of Texas has several concerns about permanently closing the bridge. SRA director of engineering services William R. Hughes outlined these concerns in a letter to the New Orleans office of the Coast Guard on August 8.
Hughes told the Coast Guard that river navigation would be “severely limited” to boats which may pass under the bridge which were no higher than eight feet over the normal water line. Also, Hughes said, the SRA used a de-snagging barge to clear the river of debris after Hurricane Rita.
“This vessel barely cleared under the bridge (during low water levels) to sccess areas that were clogged with downed trees and needed debris cleaned from the river,” Hughes said in the letter.
Hughes also told the Coast Guard dredging operations upstream of the bridge — requiring large equipment on barges — may be necessary in the future to maintain river flow and that two local industries, Temple-Inland and the Cottonwood power plant, may find it necessary to deliver large equipment by barge in future expansion plans.
The authority is also concerned about the two other swing bridges upstream of the UP bridge possibly being closed permanently in the future.
“We are concerned that de-activating the Union Pacific swing bridge may cause the other bridge owners to request their bridges be deactivated too which will limit navigation even more,” Hughes said in the letter.
“The issue needs to be thoroughly reviewed,” Sabine River Authority executive director Jerry Clark said.
Raquel Espinoza, director of corporate relations and media for Union Pacific’s Southern region, cited the length of time the company had gone without a request to open the bridge.
“We haven’t had a request to open the bridge for larger boats since Hurricane Katrina,” Espinoza said. “Because of the way the bridge is set up, it has joints that have to be maintained. We have to operate our trains slower because of the joints.”
Espinoza said the speed limit is 60 mph, but that the company runs the train across the bridge at 40 mph.
Citizens wishing to contact the Coast Guard regarding the matter may do so by writing to Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, The Hale Boggs Federal Building, 500 Poydras Street, Room 1313, New Orleans, LA 70130. The Coast Guard is accepting public comments through August 14.
Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2616 or eonstott@orangeleader.com
Local News
County commissioners concerned over closing of Sabine swing bridge
- Local News
-
-
Altrusa International Inc. of Orange presents scholarship
The Altrusa International Inc. of Orange presented its a $500 scholarship to LC-M student, Victoria Elliott, second from left, on Tuesday at is final regular meeting of the 2012-2013 year.
-
Gnats, dead roaches lower score for Senor Toro
Senor Toro Mexican Restaurant located at 2308 Lutcher Drive in Orange, received a 70 out of a possible 100 during a recent health code inspection.
-
Update on Investigation on body found in Neches River
On Sunday May 5, 2013 at 6:00PM the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to a human body found in the Neches River near the Purple Heart Bridge.
-
Work begins on Vidor's Concord Road
Residents of Concord Road in Vidor may be willing to have their driving routines disrupted this week as the much needed road work begins.
-
'Everything came down on top of me'
Voices from the scene, compiled by reporter Michael Kinney.
-
Housing Authority Chairman resigns
City of Orange Council Member District 4 Mary McKenna announced her resignation as Chairman for the Board of Commissioners Housing Authority City of Orange during the 4 p.m. Housing Authority meeting on Tuesday.
-
Annual Memorial Day program set for Sunday
A long-standing tradition of honoring those who served and gave their lives in defense of their country will continue this Sunday afternoon in Orange.
-
Vidor church collecting items for tornado victims
A church with a reputation for helping those in need across the state is reaching out to its neighbors to the north.
-
Confederate park construction stalled but not stopped
Little has changed at the construction site for the Confederate Memorial of the Wind located near Interstate 10 and MLK in Orange since the end of April.
-
Sells for disposal passes and annual stickers for collection site begin
Orange County now has annual window stickers and disposal passes on sale at the Road and Bridge Office and at the Tax Office in Orange and Vidor.
- More Local News Headlines
-
