The project includes surface improvements to the North-South BNSF and UPRR corridor through downtown Fort Worth and Tower 55, the interlock with UPRR East-West rail traffic. The project also includes 23,000 linear feet of a second main track to relieve congestion and position trains closer to the interlock.
Four city street crossings and ten utility relocation crossings are included. MULTATECH coordinated municipal utility relocations and improvement efforts for the entire four mile project and provided technical advice to BNSF and the rail and bridge teams regarding City of Fort Worth procedures and policies, plan preparation, specifications and standard construction details. Coordination efforts with the City’s Water Department Engineering Services and Field Operations departments and TPW’s Storm Water Management and Infrastructure Plan Review Departments included exhibits, estimated costs, alternate alignments and design solutions, improvements to the system and additional coordination meetings.
MULTATECH prepared roadway plans for two grade separation crossings and two at grade closures. Roadway grade separation plans included retaining wall and walkway designs to accommodate a new safe route to school corridor for children attending Nash Elementary School at one of the sites. Due to space constraints and existing private improvements at the roadway crossings, roadway grade design standards were stretched to the upper limits of design standards.
Utility relocations were achieved by means of bore at seven locations along the rail route. Utility sizes ranged from 24-inch concrete water pipe in 42-inch steel casing pipe to 8-inch sewer pipe in 24-inch steel casing pipe. Bore and receiving pits were located to avoid conflict with adjacent franchise utilities. MULTATECH coordinated closely with the City of Fort Worth Water Department and the BNSF for all public improvements.
This project also included modifications and extensions to two storm drain systems on Pharr and Gounah Street that were designed using iSWM criteria for the design. The challenge was the railroad crossing was located at the low point along the two streets. The first storm drain system had minimal capacity because it was sloped in the opposite direction of the street (bucked grade). The storm drain slope was less than one percent. The storm drain which served as the outfall was approximately 1,000 feet away and did not meet current design standards. The shallow slope and capacity issues were compounded by debris in the storm water outfall. MULTATECH was able to design the drainage so the runoff near the railroad was diverted to both systems.
MULTATECH's design work included complete plan/profile sheets, cross sections, retaining wall design, specifications, opinion of probable cost, coordination with City of Fort Worth for public utility relocations and performing Hydrology and Hydraulic analysis on nine pipe culverts, one stream bridge and two storm drain modifications.
MULTATECH provided electrical and civil engineering to the BNSF for work required at the AMTRAK yard. Electrical design included plans for new rack equipment and underground conduits. MULTATECH relocated a water line that was too close to the surface below top-of-tie as it crossed the BNSF mainline. Plans were prepared to be in compliance with BNSF standards.
As a representative of the BNSF, and based on the results from multiple successful construction management projects, MULTATECH is completing full-time on-site construction management services.
MULTATECH provided design services as a sub-consultant to HDR. MULTATECH provided utility services and construction management directly to the BNSF.
