Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC), a leading civil, building, and specialty construction company, has announced that its subsidiary, Lunda Construction, has been awarded the Roberts Street Railroad Bridge Replacement Project over the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. The project marks another significant infrastructure investment aimed at modernizing one of the region’s critical rail crossings while maintaining uninterrupted transportation operations throughout construction.
The Roberts Street Railroad Bridge has served the area for more than a century and plays an important role in supporting freight rail transportation across the Mississippi River. As the bridge has reached the end of its service life, the replacement project has been designed to improve long-term reliability, enhance navigation safety, and support future transportation demands.
The project involves replacing the existing 113-year-old vertical lift truss bridge, which measures approximately 189 feet in length, with a modern 215-foot-long rolling bascule truss span bridge. The new bridge design will provide improved operational efficiency while ensuring continued access for both rail traffic and river navigation. Rolling bascule bridges are engineered to offer dependable movable-span functionality, making them well suited for locations where both marine and rail transportation are essential.
In addition to replacing the main movable bridge span, the project includes several major infrastructure improvements that extend beyond the bridge itself. Lunda Construction will replace the six existing steel approach bridges that connect to the main crossing. These structures are essential components of the railroad corridor and will be upgraded to improve overall system performance and long-term durability.
Another important aspect of the project is the rehabilitation of the existing concrete piers that support portions of the bridge structure. Rather than replacing all existing foundations, the project includes restoring and strengthening these piers where appropriate, helping extend their service life while supporting the new bridge system.
The scope of work also includes the removal of the existing timber protection walls located along both sides of the Mississippi River navigation channel. These protective structures have safeguarded the bridge against vessel impacts for many years but will now be replaced with modern infrastructure designed to meet current engineering and safety standards.
As part of the upgraded navigation protection system, Lunda Construction will install a new steel pile protection wall adjacent to a newly constructed support pier. This protective barrier is intended to shield the bridge infrastructure from accidental vessel collisions while improving the overall safety of river traffic passing through the navigation channel.
The project further includes the installation of a large 38-foot-diameter sand-filled crash bumper designed to protect the new steel protection wall. These specialized marine protection systems help absorb the energy from potential vessel impacts, reducing the risk of damage to critical bridge components and ensuring safe navigation along the Mississippi River.
Additionally, construction crews will build a new concrete support platform that will serve as the foundation for a new bridge operations building. This facility will accommodate the equipment and systems required to operate the movable bridge efficiently and safely once the project is completed.
One of the most technically demanding elements of the Roberts Street Railroad Bridge Replacement Project is maintaining uninterrupted rail and marine operations during construction. The existing bridge will remain fully operational throughout the construction period, allowing freight rail services and river traffic to continue with minimal disruption. Achieving this objective will require careful planning, phased construction activities, and close coordination among project stakeholders to ensure safety and operational continuity.
Maintaining active transportation infrastructure while constructing a replacement bridge is a complex engineering challenge that requires extensive expertise in bridge construction, heavy lifting operations, marine work, and traffic management. Lunda Construction has significant experience delivering large-scale bridge projects under similar conditions, making the company well positioned to execute the work efficiently.
Construction is expected to begin in July 2026, with substantial completion anticipated by December 2029. The multi-year schedule reflects the complexity of replacing a major movable railroad bridge while keeping the existing structure in service throughout the project.
Although the financial value of the contract has not been publicly disclosed, Tutor Perini Corporation stated that the project will be included in the company’s backlog for the second quarter of 2026. The addition of this contract further strengthens the company’s portfolio of transportation infrastructure projects across the United States.
The Roberts Street Railroad Bridge Replacement Project represents a long-term investment in Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure, supporting both freight rail efficiency and safe navigation on the Mississippi River. Once completed, the new bridge will provide improved operational reliability, enhanced structural performance, and greater resilience to meet the transportation needs of the region for decades to come.
For Tutor Perini and its subsidiary Lunda Construction, the award highlights their continued role in delivering complex bridge and civil infrastructure projects that modernize aging transportation assets while maintaining critical services during construction. As work progresses over the coming years, the new Roberts Street Railroad Bridge is expected to become an important component of the region’s rail network and a durable crossing that supports both commerce and navigation well into the future.
About Tutor Perini Corporation
Tutor Perini Corporation is a leading civil, building and specialty construction company offering diversified general contracting and design-build services to private customers and public agencies throughout the world. We have provided construction services since 1894 and have established a strong reputation within our markets by executing large, complex projects on time and within budget while adhering to strict safety and quality control measures. We offer general contracting, pre-construction planning and comprehensive project management services, and have strong expertise in delivering design-bid-build, design-build, construction management, and public-private partnership (P3) projects. We often self-perform multiple project components, including earthwork, excavation, concrete forming and placement, steel erection, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and fire protection.
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