Ballard Rail Bridge Replacement Project BNSF Railway

OCTOBER 2018 BNSF is a Leading U.S. Railroad

• 32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces • 13,000 bridges and 88 tunnels • Serves over 40 ports

2 BNSF’s Ballard Bridge Today History of Ballard Rail Bridge

• 1912: Great Northern Railroad (GN) authorized to construct “Bridge #4” • 1915-17: GN authorized to construct guide wall • 1970: GN merges with four others to form Burlington Northern (BN) • 1995: BN merges with Santa Fe, forms BNSF Railway Water and Rail Use • Vessel use – ~40,000 annual transits utilize canal via Ballard Locks – Includes 7,500 commercial vessels – Totals 1.1 millions tons of shipping

• Rail use – ~ 30 to 40 trains cross the bridge per day, including Sounder and Amtrak passenger trains – Manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and the ports of Seattle and Tacoma rely on this bridge being fully operational Issue in 1948

• In the 1940s, the bridge’s opening mechanism failed • When this occurred, for more than six months, the bridge was stuck in the open position Replacement Project

• Our Ballard rail bridge, which spans the ship canal connecting the neighborhoods of Magnolia and Ballard, needs to be replaced • Built in 1912-13, BNSF has invested millions of dollars to maintain and upgrade the bridge over the years to extend its operational life • Occurrence of what transpired in 1948 likely to happen again • A planned replacement is the best strategy to ensure continuing rail use of the crossing and vessel transit through the canal Replacement Project

• Meeting purpose and need – Maintain safe and efficient rail and vessel passage at the Salmon Bay crossing that assures the structure’s ability to support interstate commerce & economic significance of the region – Improve reliability of the bridge structure – Enhance seismic resistance – The replacement structure must also be technically and economically feasible to design, construct, and maintain Proposed New Ballard Bridge

• The existing bridge has a vertical clearance of 43 feet when in the closed position and an unlimited vertical clearance when open • The new vertical lift bridge will provide a vertical clearance of approximately 42 feet, 6 inches when in the closed position and a maximum vertical clearance of 155 feet from mean high water (MHW) when open • The existing bridge has a horizontal clearance of approximately 150 feet between fenders • The proposed vertical lift span is approximately 450 feet long and the proposed horizontal clearance is approximately 250 feet wide • The replacement bridge will permanently change navigation by providing a larger horizontal clearance than the existing bridge and providing a maximum vertical clearance of 155 feet as defined as the authorized vertical clearance on NOAA Chart 18447 • The clearance of 155 feet was specific to an overhead cable that was removed in 2010 during bridge maintenance activities. • Changing the bridge design from a bascule span to a vertical lift span is not expected to preclude or discourage existing or future industrial, recreational, commercial and agency uses within the Canal Proposed New Bridge Design Elements

• The south fender will be a row of steel pile with composite fendering on the north face • This new south fender will be located in approximately the same location as the existing south fender wall • The north fender will include a 10-foot wide walkway and will consist of two rows of steel pile with composite fendering on either side • The north fender will be in approximately the same location as the existing north fender • The existing Pier 7 protection fender would be removed in entirely, thereby increasing the overall horizontal clearance of the Canal under the new bridge Preferred Design Conceptual Design Drawing Conceptual Design with Current/Proposed Bridges Conceptual Design with Current/Proposed Bridges Construction Impacts

• BNSF is working closely with the USCG and USACE to develop minimization and mitigation measures to implement during construction to minimize impacts to maritime users • During construction, there will be temporary equipment and structures within the Canal which may result in temporary navigational closures (up to 48 hours in duration) • During construction, commercial users are expected to continue the same level of operations but may need to shift transit times to avoid construction encumbrances • The temporary trestle fendering system will be designed to withstand a collision from a large vessel to ensure collisions that may occur during construction do not further compromise the navigational channel • A barge staging plan will be created to assist in navigational planning, mariner notices and access. Barges will be anchor to the ground or a fixed pile as opposed to a buoy in the channel to minimize drift Proposed Construction Mitigation

• Efforts to avoid or minimize navigational impacts during construction will be incorporated into the construction phasing, trestle, and barge plans. • The following strategies and mitigation efforts are being reviewed: – Temporary relocation of the Aid to Navigation (ATON) – Shilshole Light List Number (LLNR) 18115. The process of temporarily or permanently relocating Shilshole LLNR 18115 will require approval by the USCG – Temporary disestablishment of the USCG buoy located in the southwest corner of the navigation channel – Provision of appropriate ATONs for commercial and recreational boaters through the study area and the Ballard Locks during construction, including but not limited to cameras, loud speakers, light signals, signage, buoys with lighting, and guide boats – Use of signage, lighting, and buoys on barges during construction to increase visibility and minimize the potential for collision with other vessels – Provision of temporary moorage during construction for recreational boaters, as well as signage indicating if moorage on the existing bridge fenders is not safe – Creation of a safety zone around construction activity that is enforceable by the USCG and/or Seattle Harbor Patrol – The USCG will broadcast “Local Notice to Mariners” to alert local commercial and recreational boating communities of any temporary channel closures or changes in navigation aids during construction Preferred Design Comparison Timeline

• Finalize preferred design • Submit permitting applications in 2019 • Permitting kicks off, including public comment periods – timeline is up to lead agencies • Construction is anticipated to last three years • BNSF will provide timely and consistent updates and outreach 19