V&T bridge goes up next week at night

The bridge that will carry the V&T Railway across Highway 50 East in Mound House is slated to be raised onto its footing next week.

Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Department of Transportation, said that crews are planning on installing the recycled bridge March 25.

Since the bulk of the work will be done overnight, traffic in the area will be affected after 7 p.m., he said. The bridge should be in place by the following morning's commute.

Construction began in November on the pillars to hold the 48-year-old Union Pacific Railroad bridge near the Carson City and Lyon County border. The bridge was in Las Vegas before being purchased and moved north.

The V&T Railway, an 18-mile tourist railroad, will run from Virginia City to Carson City and is modeled after the original 19th-century track. About six miles of track have been completed from Gold Hill to outside Mound House.

The additional costs of building concrete abutments on the new site, guardrails, bridge modifications, moving and setting the bridge will be more than $500,000.

The public commission in charge of the project needs to raise additional funds to bring the rest of the track through the Carson River Canyon.

The entire project is estimated to cost at least $55 million.