(Look for work at the RR Crossing section of Central Street this summer.)
Updated (7/17/24 2:53 pm): I’ll blame being in summer mode for my big oops today. I misread the text that I copied and pasted — apparently reading what I wanted to see.
It is actually the Central Street crossing. Unfortunately, CSX still hasn’t agreed to terms for fixing the downtown Main Street crossing, which I initially thought would finally be repaired.
Select Board Chair Kathy Cook quickly caught my error and reached out. She tells me that the board is still hoping that Rep. Kate Donaghue can get CSX to work through issues for the downtown Main Street crossing. But she noted that as my post indicates, that has been complicated.
Below are the edited details from my initial post.
(This month’s newsletter from the Town Administrator shared some good (and long overdue) news. CSX will finally conduct work this summer to repair and improve the Central Street railroad crossing.
The latest volume of the Town’s “Word on Common Street” newsletter included:
Thanks to Representative Donaghue, CSX responded with a tentative timeline on the Central Street Railroad Crossing issue. CSX plan store construct the entire RR crossing on Central Street this August. The work will take two to three days. During this period, traffic will need to be detoured around Central Street. In the meantime, CSX has requested that a crew be dispatched to improve the crossing temporarily. The DPW will be working with CSX in the coming weeks to ensure the project is successful.
(You can read the full July 12th issue, which includes other Town updates here and find all of the newsletters here.)
As for downtown, allthough the Town invested in the reconstruction of roads, sidewalks, and crosswalks downtown, under the law they were unable to touch the railroad crossing without the freight rail company’s signoff. Opening a discussion on improvements and easements prompted complications. Town officials have been trying for years to work through the complications and spur CSX to allow the work.
One delay had been CSX pressuring the Town to pressure abutting businesses that they claimed were infringing on railroad owned land. Select Board members urged Mauro’s Cafe owners to work things through, but ultimately came to an understanding with CSX that it was a private dispute outside of the board’s control.
Another past issue had the question of whether CSX would create ADA compliant sidewalk crossings, and if that would force the Town to install crossing gates.
Below are photos of the current crossing condition downtown:
