West Tulsa Highway Ramp Re-Opens After Train Derailment

The westbound Interstate 244 off-ramp to 23rd Street is now open to traffic after an inspection showed no damage to a bridge from a train derailment.<br />

Tuesday, May 13th 2014, 7:20 am

By: News On 6


A freight train derailment led to the closure of a bridge from Highway 75/I-244 to west 21st Street Monday night. Just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, the bridge was re-opened.

Inspections showed no damage to the bridge, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Four Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail cars went off the tracks under the bridge in west Tulsa just before 12:30 a.m.

While BNSF crews worked to get the freight cars back on the tracks and repair the damaged tracks, ODOT closed the southbound exit ramp because one of the cars hit a bridge support pier.

ODOT spokesman Martin Stewart says the state wanted to inspect the bridge pier before deciding if the ramp can be reopened.

"Right now it looks like we have some cosmetic damage at the base, but that's all we can tell right now due to the car being in contact with the pier," said Martin Stewart.

The preliminary inspection that showed no damage will be followed up by a more detailed inspection at a later date.

The derailment occurred at the north end of the BNSF's Cherokee Yard. 

BNSF spokesman Joe Faust says the rail cars were being moved by remote-control when they went off the tracks.

Faust says there were no injuries and all four of the cars were empty at the time.  

He says an investigation into the cause continues.

 

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