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William H. Hay Award

Grant Tower Improvements Earn Engineering Award

October 28, 2008 | 12:40 p.m. CDT

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) recently recognized Union Pacific for its innovative Grant Tower realignment project in Salt Lake City, which earned AREMA's William H. Hay award for design excellence.

At the intersection of Lynndel, Provo and Salt Lake subdivisions, Grant Tower dates back to 1948 and served as an interchange between the UP, Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) and Western Pacific (WP) railroads. Following a series of mergers and increasing volume, bottlenecks became evident. By spring 2006, the interchange was one of the busiest railroad junctions in the Mountain West.

"The area was a problem, and we looked for ways to improve traffic flow, realizing there was no easy solution due to the track configuration and complicated signal system," said Tom Ogee, who recently retired as assistant vice president-Engineering Design. "After the mergers, particularly the UP-SP merger, problems continued even though all three lines operated under one road."

Following previous failed attempts to improve Grant Tower operations, Salt Lake City officials, UP and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) developed a 7-phase plan – beginning June 2007 and concluding November 2007 – to realign track and install a new signal system.

Under the public-private partnership, UP took full responsibility for freight rail operations, including signal and track construction; the city began acquiring property and relocating businesses, as well as roadway crossings and utility work; and the UTA moved forward with plans to establish a commuter rail line and provided incentive funding to ensure the project's timely completion.

"This was the best experience I've ever had in dealing with a public-private partnership," Ogee said. "Everyone involved intently worked together, making the project a success. I was honored to accept the award recognizing our hard work on behalf of UP."

At the project's completion, Grant Tower enhancements include:

• Increased allowable train speed from 10 mph to 40;
• Reduced curves from 10 degrees to no more than 7.5;
• Installed new signal and highway crossing warning systems enabling the area to become a "quiet zone;"
• Closed 14 grade crossings;
• Provided a CTC route to and from Roper Yard, and
• Improved inspection processes.