BNSF News

BNSF project with landowner reduces trespasser incidents on bridge in Vancouver, Wash.

2013-07-09

For years, a popular community swimming area on the Lewis River in Vancouver, Wash., has also been a dangerous crossing zone as pedestrians used a private landowner's road as a shortcut to the river. Sometimes, individuals would trespass on BNSF's Lewis River Bridge.

BNSF worked with the landowner to encourage the installation of gates on the private property. These gates encourage pedestrians to follow the safe course when accessing the popular community swimming area.

"According to the landowner, since the gate was installed, a number of community members have driven to the gate, read the sign and left--presumably in search of alternate access," said Mike Schram, division engineer, Northwest Division. "Better yet, there have been no reports of trespassers on the bridge since the gate was installed."

Employees from Engineering and Claims were involved in the development and implementation of the project. In addition to Schram, those employees included Matt Hammond, then division engineer for the Northwest Division and now director, Maintenance, Montana Division; Jennifer Wyatt, claims manager; and Kris Osmus, senior claims representative.

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