In todays Whitman County Gazette (1/25/07) photos of empty well cars shoved past the Risbeck station sign include a story stating that replacement costs for the burned trestle are now up to $4 or $5 million according to state rep Daved Buri of Colfax, this exceeds the "drive by" estimates of $1.2-$1.5 million made earlier. No source is given for the latest cost estimates but it is assumed to be WSDOT. The story goes on to state that rebuilding the former UP line between Thornton and Oakesdale (which a prior Gazette story some weeks ago stated the town of Oakesdale opposes) is now the most likely option. The story also says that the Colfax to Pullman line contains more bridges that "could go at any moment" and implies that replacing the trestle is pointless.
MY COMMENTS: I have to say that based on these cost estimates, there should be a criminal investigation into the demolition of the undamaged 60% of the bridge. At these prices, someone made off with $2.5 million worth of timber and stringers. I find these cost estimates pretty hard to take, but knowing how WSDOT likes grand projects, I suspect they would be building a double track ballast deck bridge with CTC signalling to replace the burned timber bridge. I also suspect that if the line gets turned into a bike trail, five times the $5 million amount would get spent no questions asked. While the Thornton to Oakesdale option does make some sense, the R of W has been totally destroyed and sold off and most is now being farmed----it was not railbanked. The line between Winona and Thornton is mostly 75 and 85 pound rail and adding 500-750 cars of fertilizer over that line is the last thing it needs. Lightest rail between Pullman and Colfax is 90 pound and the same goes for Colfax to Hooper (with many 131 pound segments thrown in). None of the options is perfect, but I can't believe WSDOT needs $5 million for a trestle no longer than that.