Rail crossing work to begin for quiet zone

MUNCIE – Work should begin soon on beefing up railroad crossings for the city’s downtown train horn quiet zone.

Several streets that crossed Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines were closed in May and work to implement greater safety precautions at others that remain open should begin soon, Mayor Dennis Tyler told The Star Press this week.

“All of the construction agreements have been signed,” Tyler said. “I talked to Norfolk Southern last week and it’s just a matter of them coordinating their laborers and getting them in here.”

Tyler has said it’s likely that the railroads — which have signed contracts with the city for $3.5 million in city-funded crossing improvements — will install improved crossing arms and possibly medians to keep motorists from trying to “beat” trains at open crossings like Walnut, Liberty, Council and other streets.

The quiet zone has been discussed for decades but is now being implemented as part of the city’s efforts toward the Courtyard hotel downtown, which is expected to open in December. The Arc of Indiana and other partners in the hotel project wanted to lessen the noise from train horns near the six-floor, 150-room hotel.

At the same time the improvements at 9 crossings on six streets are being improved, the city will complete seven road closings at crossings like those on Vine, Pershing, Jefferson and others.

The city is working with CEP, a local organization responsible for improving the appearance of the city in numerous spots through landscaping and other means, to beautify the streets that now end at crossings.

“We don’t want it to look like a dead ending,” Tyler said. “We want landscaping and whatever greenery we put up there to enhance that neighborhood.”

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.