RK&K’s Structures group recently completed an “in-kind” inspection for the Carey Street railroad bridge, as a community service for the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.
“We enjoyed inspecting this unique and historic structure and appreciated working with such an iconic Baltimore establishment as the B&O Railroad Museum,” said Project Engineer Matt Leyden, PE.
The bridge, located in the city’s Pigtown neighborhood a few blocks from the museum, is part of the first mile of commercial railroad track ever laid in the United States. The project team provided condition inspection, inspection report development, and load rating analysis for the bridge, which is part of the B&O Railroad.
“We looked at defects that were pointed out in previous reports to see if those stayed the same or got worse. We also checked to see if there are any new defects that have occurred since the previous inspection,” Leyden said.
He noted while the inspection was “routine,” since the bridge is part of the National Bridge Inventory, the project was especially exciting for him.
“I have two kids who are five years old, and we’ve been to the museum and for the ‘Thomas the Train’ ride along. It’s one of the great city events, and the kids have a great time. It was great finding out that we were selected to inspect the bridge,” Leyden added.
