Bridge replacement marks critical step in hurricane recovery

Norfolk Southern (NS) marked a major milestone this month in the restoration of the western portion of its hurricane-damaged AS Line with the installation of new bridge spans for its rail bridge replacement in Newport, Tenn.

Reconnecting Communities and Commerce

“The speedy replacement of the Newport bridge, despite challenging conditions in the wake of the storm, exemplifies the Norfolk Southern team’s commitment to reliability, resilience, and investment in the communities we serve,” said Ruth Brown, Norfolk Southern Chief Engineer Bridges & Structures. “This project is more than just infrastructure repair — it’s a crucial step in maintaining the flow of commerce, keeping local economies strong, and reinforcing the trust our customers and partners place in us every day.”

After Hurricane Helene brought historic flooding and unprecedented damage to the Southeast in September, teams were able to reopen all core routes affected by the storm within 72 hours of landfall, clearing more than 15,000 trees, deploying 400+ generators, and repairing multiple track washouts. But the company’s AS Line, which runs from Salisbury, N.C to Morristown, Tenn., crossing the Eastern Continental Divide through the Blue Ridge Mountains and Asheville, N.C., was severely damaged, and the section of the line that runs from Newport to Old Fort, N.C., including the Newport bridge, has been out of service since September.

In just five months, NS teams, working alongside contractors, acted swiftly to rebuild the essential piece of rail infrastructure, securing materials for the new bridge and coordinating the installation. On March 14, the installation of the final span on the new replacement bridge was completed, representing important progress in restoring a vital link along the line. The new rail bridge, built to modern specifications, is expected to last for at least 100 years.

Giving Hope to the Community

The bridge replacement gives the community hope as residents welcome a return to normalcy since the hurricane.

“Our house is just across the road from the train tracks so we’ve been watching super closely, it was a part of our routine, every day my kids and I would wave at the conductors,” Del Rio resident Spring Pearson, who stopped by to watch the replacement work March 12, told Knoxville’s WATE News.

“They made such a huge difference for us during the flood and they were such an important part of our daily routine anyway, so to see this coming back really feels like maybe we’ll get home, you know. Maybe things will be normal again,” Pearson said.