NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. — A portion of a BNSF Railway bridge connecting North Sioux City, S.D., and Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed Sunday night, as heavy rains and flooding continue to take a toll on the area.
“We have been monitoring the region through our increased track inspections and had not been operating over the bridge at North Sioux City as a precaution, given conditions,” BNSF spokeswoman Kendall Sloan said in an email to Trains News Wire. “At approximately 11 p.m. Sunday, the middle span of the bridge collapsed over the Big Sioux River. All trains are being rerouted via Creston, Iowa. We will continue to monitor and inspect conditions in the area and execute recovery operations as needed.”
KTIV-TV reports that the level of the Big Sioux River was at 44.25 feet as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, surpassing its record of 37.7, but is believed to have crested.
The bridge, on a former Milwaukee Road line that is part of BNSF’s Aberdeen Subdivision, is also used by the D&I Railroad through trackage rights on BNSF between Elk Point, S.D., and Sioux City.
