Just looked at the esker picture (KWG webpage, photo gallery) again and the width of the esker varies quite a bit, but from a comparison with a black spuce (plenty of them in the area) some narrow portion could be approximately 150m wide (this is just eye-balling), assuming that A mature black spruce height would be about 15m.

Also, from Googgle Earth the following width were estimated

- a double track with clearance in the middle and on both sides = ~35m

- Major highways, such as the 401 with 3 lanes in each direction and separation in the middle and shoulders on both sides = ~45m.

- A road with a single lane in each direction (for service vehicles and passenger cars), e.g. Hwy 7 = ~20m (could be less)

Perhaps the width of 100-150m would not be able to accommodate a private road for monster trucks along with the RR and the power towers, but it should be able to accomodate the RR and a single lane (for each direction) public service road. This would help the local people and the maintenance of the infrastructure (service people need some kind of road to maintain the RR, road, power towers, wind turbines, solar panels, etc...)

Power towers can probably be built, just off the esker bed with solid (concrete) foundations to save the space of the esker for the RR and the service road...

People have buit large structures, e.g. long bridges on mud bed and for other harsh conditions. An example is the Conderation bridge connecting the mainland to PEI (total length:~13km). The pillars (like an elephant feet) are just sitting on bedrock, and they have to take the force of large ice floes crashing on them every Spring thaw. It's still there since the opening in 1997, and a lot of toll fees have been collected.

Just my speculation. Please jump in if you have better information.

goldhunter