UP is doing some major work to their crossings in Springfield, IL.
Published Thursday, May 01, 2008
The Union Pacific Railroad is laying rail along the Third Street tracks this week in preparation for a major crossing improvement project to take place in June, a spokesman said today.
Each section of steel rail is one-quarter-mile long. As a result, laying the rail required the railroad today to close crossings from Madison Street to Lawrence Avenue, with the exception of the Capitol Avenue underpass. Most of the work is being done between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Street crossings to be closed Friday are Canedy, Scarritt and Allen streets, South Grand Avenue, and Cedar, Laurel and Ash streets.
Crossings north of downtown were closed Wednesday.
Crews also are cutting grooves where the new rail will be laid in preparation for the improvement work next month.
“In June, the Union Pacific is going to replace all ties, crossings and driving surfaces,” said Scott Gaddy of the Union Pacific. That work will require an additional round of crossing closures, he said.
The June project will involve a 20-25 car “TRT” train that will roll over the old tracks, take up the existing rail and put down new rails, as well as replace the wooden ties currently in place with concrete ones. That work will take about four days to go through the city, Gaddy said.
Motorists should use Carpenter Street or Capitol Avenue to avoid today’s closures, a spokesman for Mayor Tim Davlin said.