Oak Creek Power Plant

Project Highlights

Removed existing track and turnouts
Constructed 54,000 ft. new ballasted track
Installed 20 new turnouts, switch heaters and a grade crossing
Project completed in phases to accommodate uninterrupted coal deliveries

Customer

Bechtel Power Corporation, Wisconsin Electric

Location

Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Category

Railroad & Industrial Services

Services

Construction & Rehabilitation

Provided By

RailWorks constructed the rail expansion project at the Oak Creek Power Plant, south of Milwaukee, Wisc., as a subcontractor to Bechtel Power Corporation.

RailWorks removed 17,000 feet of existing track and 16 existing turnouts, and constructed 54,000 feet of new ballasted track, including 18,400 feet of continuous welded rail (CWR), 4,400 feet of which required concrete crossties. The project also included constructing 20 new turnouts, all with electric heaters to melt snow in the winter months, and installing 200 feet of timber grade crossings, as well as a new yard entry system.

Unique Features

RailWorks completed the construction in phases to allow uninterrupted coal deliveries for the duration of the project.

The expanded plant features two 615-megawatt-coal fueled generating units equipped with advanced emission-control technology, making it one of the cleanest plants of its type in the United States. The plant expansion accommodates additional and longer unit trains, which dump coal in a continuous manner without switching any rail cars as trains travel through a new, modernized dumper system.