NORTH TONAWANDA: Two rail crossings closing for repairs
By Neale Gulley The Tonawanda News
CSX Transportation plans to improve two railroad crossings in North Tonawanda throughout the rest of the week beginning tomorrow and drivers will be asked to take alternate routes.
The Thompson Street crossing will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Friday. Another at Witmer Road will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. Thursday through 6 p.m. Monday.
“Any time a railroad comes in and works on infrastructure it’s a good thing,” North Tonawanda Department of Public Works Superintendent Gary Franklin said.
His department will provide detour signs near lighted barricades provided by CSX at the crossings to advise motorists of detour routes. Despite the inconvenience to drivers, however, Franklin said he is pleased the freight company will be investing to repair and replace road surfaces at the crossings. For years, some motorists have complained of bumpy conditions jarring their vehicles even at slow speeds.
“These could all use work, and they do have plans to come back next summer and do some more,” Franklin said.
Closing the intersections is a significant job, in that planners must work to lessen the chance someone will decide to cross the closed tracks on purpose, or inadvertently. Local emergency services have been notified and must tailor their response routes.
The DPW will require the company to fill in any holes they create at the end of each of several daily work periods, though the crossings will remain closed until all work is completed.
“I’ve already talked to fire and police, it’s not so much that. I just want to make sure they fill any holes just as a safety precaution — in case you had someone who would just drive right through the barricades in the middle of the night. It can happen, I just don’t want anybody to drive into a hole,” Franklin said.
Detours for the Witmer crossing will likely send drivers to the next available intersection on Ward Road. Motorists looking to cross over on Thompson Street will be asked to use Robinson Street instead.
Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.
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