Still stuck at the crossing in Levasy

By MICHAEL GLOVER

michael.glover@examiner.net



The issue of railroad crossings in Levasy will be decided at the Board of Aldermen meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at city hall, 103 Pacific Ave.

The board was supposed to vote on the agreement at a special meeting Wednesday night. However, Mayor Phyllis Dieckmann called the meeting off until Monday.

The board will determine whether to enter into an agreement with Missouri Department of Transportation and Union Pacific. The agreement is to close two rail road crossings and install flashing lights and gates at two other crossings.

The lights and gates will improve safety of the crossings at Schuster Road and Main Street, Dieckmann said.

“There’s been several fatalities at the Schuster Road crossing,” she said, “so they’re going to put arms and lights on it.”

It’s safe to say all of Levasy is in agreement that the active warning signals will improve safety at the crossings.

But conflict emerges on the topic of closing the crossings at Old Lexington Road and Bickel Street.

Alderman Jerry Friedrich said closing the two crossings will choke off access points for citizens who live north of the tracks, those who rely on the crossings the most.

“It’s going to increase response time of emergency vehicles that need to get there,” Friedrich said.  “They will have to make a big detour.”

Also, the crossings improve access during times of flooding, according to residents who don’t want the crossings shut down.

A petition was started and has been signed by 40 residents who don’t want the crossings closed.

Cost for the installation will be paid for by MoDOT and Union Pacific, with MoDOT paying 80 percent and the railroad chipping in the rest.

Dieckmann said the railroad has been federally mandated to close numerous crossing throughout the state in the next 10 years.

The lights and gates can’t be installed without the crossings be closed. It’s a packaged deal, Dieckmann said.

Also, Union Pacific would compensate a landowner whose property will be affected by the closings.

A road has to be extended from the Old Lexington crossing, if it’s closed, to the Schuster Road crossing.

If aldermen decide to nix the agreement, the offer to be compensated is off the table and the crossings, because of the mandate, would still be closed.

If approved, construction could begin in approximately nine months.