Work is now complete on the replacement of the 120-year-old railroad bridge – or truss – near Petal River Park and Hattiesburg’s Chain Park across the Leaf River, with officials from the Norfolk Southern railroad line continuing to demobilize their equipment at the site after finishing bridge work in February.
Petal Mayor Tony Ducker said in addition to the new bridge, the company has conducted bank stabilization on the Friendly City side of the bridge and are currently working on returning the site to a desired “footprint.” That process is expected to wrap up no later than August, depending on weather and other factors.
“The new bridge has been done for a while, and they’re just trying to get everything out of there,” Ducker said. “They only took (the old bridge) down for just a few hours, and I remember the next morning I was trying to get out there and see some of that stuff as they transitioned, but (by then) you could already hear the trains going.as they were playing catch-up from having been down for a few hours.
“They did it (quickly) and got it all done so the traffic could resume – the logistics of breaking down the old bridge and all that stuff.”
Improvements on the bridge, which was originally built in 1905, were necessitated by wear and tear caused by transportation throughout the years since.
Dirt work at the site started back in January 2022, and parts for the bridge – which consists of the Norfolk-Southern rail line – started arriving soon thereafter. The project is part of Norfolk Southern’s annual infrastructure improvements across its 22-state network and was one of several such jobs planned for this year.
According to materials provided by Norfolk Southern, approximately 20 trains cross the bridge each day, transporting items such as automotive products, chemicals, metals, agricultural products and forest products. The bridge also functions as Amtrak passenger service.
The new bridge is expected to last for at least the next 100 years.
“Replacing the truss was not merely a necessary task; it represents our unwavering commitment to safety, innovation and the longevity of our infrastructure,” said Ed Boyle, who serves as the vice president of engineering for Norfolk Southern. “By embracing this challenge, we are not only restoring structural integrity but also paving the way for a stronger and more resilient future.”
Although Ducker didn’t have an exact cost for the bridge replacement, he’s estimating the figure based on the upcoming bridge that will connect East Hardy Street in Hattiesburg to South Main Street in Petal. That new bridge will take the place of the current one, which will be transformed into a pedestrian bridge for walkers and cyclists.
“I’m just kind of guesstimating on what the other bridge costs; that was the only thing I had known,” Ducker said. “You kind of wonder, with all the projects that are going on these days that are coming in over (estimated cost) – you wonder if it was supposed to be this and it turns out be that.
“There’s a lot of going on these days.”
