Posted June 27, 2005
Thomasville-- Railroad workers are making significant improvements to crossings all over Thomasville. But drivers will have a rough road ahead until they're done.
Railroad crossings in repair, an improvement drivers in Thomasville will have to plan around for the next three weeks. "We're going to do one a week starting this week," says CSX Machine Operator, Tom Boyd.
Railroad workers like Boyd are enduring the summer heat to fix a problem city engineers have been hearing about since at least last Fall. "We've been getting a fair number of citizen complaints. As the ties degrade, the heavy truck traffic and the rest will compress them. As the rails pump, sort of ride up and down, that breaks up the pavement over it," says City Manager, John Wood.
The result: rough crossings that have taken months of coordination to get fixed. It's not a quick fix. But it's one the city doesn't have to pay for. "DOT is funding a portion of it on the paving. CSX is funding a portion for the rail replacement," says Wood.
Chopped up roads and lengthy detours, minor inconveniences on the front end of this project that will lead to the conveniences motorists are looking for on the back end. "It provides a smoother transaction, less wear and tear on the cars, less noise for people who live nearby at night," says Wood.
The finished product of this project will be crossings that will be better for everyone across the board. "We're very pleased. It has been a long time," says Wood. "We all take pride in our work," adds Boyd. Until they're finished working, the familiar trains passing through town will have to be rerouted.
The new railroad crossings will be exceptionally beneficial to some business owners whose shops are near the tracks. The city had received complaints that hubcaps from cars crossing the tracks often hit their stores.
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