PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. — Both directions of Interstate 25 remained closed Tuesday after a BNSF train derailed on Sunday, and it could be several days before the roadway is fully back open.
A semi-truck driver was killed when the train carrying coal tipped over from a bridge onto I-25 just north of Pueblo. The Pueblo County Coroner's Office identified the driver as Lafollette Henderson, 60, of Compton, California.
The Colorado State Patrol said the derailment happened just before 3:30 p.m. near mile marker 107, which is just south of the Purcell Boulevard exit.
In a statement Monday, Gov. Jared Polis said cleanup efforts had not yet begun. He said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) needs to clear the state to proceed with debris removal. He added it could take up to 48 hours to clean up the debris. The governor said he has urged Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to allow the state to begin debris cleanup as soon as possible.
"I am ensuring that we are doing everything we can to complete it more quickly, including beginning preparations now so we can begin as soon as we are allowed to and save precious hours," Polis said in the statement.
The bridge that the train was on is owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation, according to BNSF. Polis said CDOT Director Shoshana Lew is at the derailment site and providing him with updates.
The train consisted of five locomotives and 124 cars carrying coal, the NTSB said. Thirty cars derailed, according to the NTSB. A portion of the bridge carrying the train over the interstate also collapsed. Coal was spilled across the road.
Four investigators from the NTSB were on site, the agency said Monday. The agency said their team consists of track discipline, mechanical discipline and railroad operations. The investigators will examine the adequacy of track inspections, oversight of track maintenance, the bridge's structure and upkeep and any issues with the rail equipment.
Robert Halstead, a railroad accident reconstructionist, said there are three possible scenarios: the train derailed before the bridge, the train derailed on the bridge, or the bridge collapsed first. He explained bridges are supposed to be inspected at least once a year, while tracks should be inspected twice a week.
"They are going to be looking at the bridge inspections probably going back a number of years of this bridge to see if there is any common threads that may be of interest," Halstead said.
Halstead thinks NTSB could find out a possible cause quickly.
"They are going to be looking at bend and shear to see if any of the steel components were sheared in any way, and if so determine if that occurred during the derailment or if that was present prior to the derailment," he said.
A preliminary report is expected to be completed within 30 days, an NTSB spokesperson said. The final report could take 12 to 24 months.
Photos show the semi was under the bridge when the derailment happened.
BNSF said there were no reported injuries to the train's crew. They said the cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Photos from Google Maps in September show many cracks in the base of the bridge. While we don't yet know what caused the train to derail, investigators are working to determine whether the structural integrity of the bridge was compromised before the train came through.
BNSF told 9NEWS that CDOT owns the bridge. We reached out to CDOT many times Monday asking them if the bridge was in need of repairs and whether it was designated structurally deficient before this incident. CDOT did not answer any of our questions.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS