The railroad bridge in Lincoln destroyed by an unattended campfire last week reopened on Tuesday, marking a quick turnaround for repair crews with Union Pacific.
A UP official tells KLIN News the nearly 100-year-old bridge over Salt Creek, just west of Pinnacle Bank Arena, has been “repaired, inspected and reopened to train traffic.”
Crews will linger over the next month or so doing cleanup and additional finishing work, the official said.
The bridge went up in flames around 3:45 a.m. Monday, Feb. 23, and collapsed around 5:30 a.m. Crews spent the week rebuilding the bridge.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue declared the bridge a total loss. The line, periodically used by UP and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, consisted of heavy timber. Investigators believe the fire was caused by an unattended campfire, possibly started by someone homeless trying to stay warm.
No arrests or citations have been reported at this time.