A seven-week long railroad track maintenance project began Monday on North Nekoma Avenue in Polk County and is expected to be completed around September 29 in Hillsborough County, said a news release from CSX Transportation.
The work will begin in Hillsborough County starting September 18 at Cookie Cutter Lane. Other Plant City area crossings in the project include Hardy Manufacturing Co, Gandy Glass Co, Woodrow Wilson Street, Turkey Creek Road, Sydney Dover Road, Gallagher Road and Williams Road.
Erika Nickell of Southern Commercial Development said three main components to the routine maintenance include: 1) replacement of railroad ties, 2) replacement of the rail and 3) the rock or “ballast” being redone, called surfacing in order to keep the track in proper alignment, as per Federal Railroad Administration guidelines. “This has to be done every two to four years, depending on the amount of train traffic a track sees each year,” she said.
CSX routinely conducts railroad crossing maintenance to ensure safe passage for trains, automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians.
Temporary road closures and detours will be in effect during the maintenance periods. Each crossing will be closed between two to five work days, depending on the type of maintenance required at the site however one way in/out crossings may be completed within a 24-hour period.
Estimated closure dates are subject to change due to a number of unforeseen circumstances that can occur in the field once work begins.
“We appreciate the work of our friends at CSX to help provide safe travel routes throughout the area,” said Assistant City Manager Jack Holland.
Commuters who rely on these railroad crossings are advised to plan their journey accordingly, follow all road signs and use extreme caution while driving in these areas.
“We encourage everyone to take care when using detours around the construction zones and to allow added travel time to get to your destination.”
For more information about CSX visit csx.com.