Railroad crossing repairs applauded

Churchville Mayor Nancy Steedman received some repair work information from train master John Connelly. Provided photo.

Churchville's village railroad crossing on Route 36 is a smoother ride since crews replaced track and leveled the roadway surface. Provided photo.

Railroad crossing repairs applauded

Recent work on the Route 36 railroad crossing in the Village of Churchville is complete and village officials say they are very pleased with the results. Members of the village board discussed the repairs during their regular meeting on November 5.

Mayor Nancy Steedman told village board members that she and Trustee Don Suter had gone to the crossing while the work was being done. They met and spoke with CSX train master John Connelly who was supervising the job. Steedman called the visit, "quite educational." She had requested that CSX crews also take out brush and weeds in the area to make it look more attractive.

"They used a bucket loader and knocked down the weeds," Steedman said. "They cut limbs on the southeast side and cleaned up the area. It is so much better, I'm so pleased that it is fixed, it is so neat for the community."

Other village board members had high praise for the railroad repair. Trustee Scott Cullen didn't waste any time trying out the newly resurfaced crossing. "As soon as I noticed the work was done, I drove over the tracks and turned right around to go back over. I did a little cloverleaf. It is really smooth," he said.

"I rode my bike across the tracks," Trustee John Hartman said. "It survived without any damage. Now I can ride my bike south on Route 36."

Steedman said CSX crews replaced track and smoothed the surface at the crossing. "It was in terrible shape, kind of sunken-down. You would bump down and then bump up."

She said the crossing actually looked damaged. New track, stone and blacktop were put down as part of the repair work.

Steedman said State Senator Jim Alesi was instrumental in getting the project underway. A lack of proper state and county permits was holding up the work, so she contacted Alesi's office to see if it were possible to get the repairs done by winter.

Shortly after that, CSX scheduled the work, she said.

Steedman said she planned to thank Senator Alesi publicly during an Election Day luncheon meeting of the Greater Churchville-Riga Chamber of Commerce. Alesi was the guest speaker at the luncheon.