Within the next two weeks, the Army Corps of Engineers may be forced to open the gates of the Morganza Spillway, which would divert a significant amount of water from the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya. There is also always the possibility that the Mississippi may move into the Atchafalaya of its own accord when the floods upriver reach Lousiana.
The UP has three crossings of the Atchafalaya-- one at Melville on the line from Alexandria to New Orleans, one at Krotz Springs on the line from Opelousas to Baton Rouge, and one at Morgan City on the Sunset Route.
I'm curious as to whether these bridges would be able to withstand a much higher-than-normal volume of water coming down the Atchafalaya. Were they designed with this in mind, or could they be compromised?
The UP has three crossings of the Atchafalaya-- one at Melville on the line from Alexandria to New Orleans, one at Krotz Springs on the line from Opelousas to Baton Rouge, and one at Morgan City on the Sunset Route.
I'm curious as to whether these bridges would be able to withstand a much higher-than-normal volume of water coming down the Atchafalaya. Were they designed with this in mind, or could they be compromised?
