New information added after the July 24, 2008 council meeting is shown below in bolded red text.
STAFF REPORT
Town Council Committee, August 14, 2008
Railroad Crossings Closure – Public Hearing
(EN09-010A)
Consideration of closing two railroad crossings on
the CSX S-line at Carpenter Fire Station Road and Morrisville-Carpenter Road.
Speaker: Tim Bailey, P.E.,
Director of Engineering
From: Tim Bailey, P.E.,
Director of Engineering
Prepared by: Tim Bailey, P.E., Director of Engineering
Approved by: William B. Coleman, Jr., Town Manager
Approved by: Benjamin T. Shivar, Assistant Town Manager
Staff is seeking feedback on a proposal to close two railroad crossings in the Carpenter area. Morrisville-Carpenter Road and Carpenter Fire Station Road would both be closed at the crossing of the CSX railroad. The plan would provide a bridged crossing of the railroad and road realignment in the vicinity of Carpenter Fire Station Road. Closing would also allow a new crossing at Little Drive extension. These road improvements are indicated on the transportation plan.
Work will occur in phases if the concept moves forward as follows. The first step would close Carpenter Fire Station Road railroad crossing. All traffic would be redirected to Morrisville-Carpenter Road. Turn lane improvements will be added to increase capacity at the single crossing. During this first step a new crossing on Little Drive extension could occur. Design, permitting, and property acquisition of a new bridge over the railroad tracks will occur while Morrisville-Carpenter Road crossing remains open. A draft agreement stipulates that construction must begin with five years of the Carpenter Fire Station Road crossing closure. After construction of the bridge is complete, Morrisville-Carpenter Road crossing will be permanently closed.
Public Hearing was advertised following the normal procedure. Notices were mailed to properties in the vicinity. Signs were posted at both crossings.
This item was tabled at the July 24, 2008 Town Council meeting and Staff was directed to request a delay in the closing of the Carpenter Fire Station Road crossing. Staff met with CSX, NCDOT Rail Division, CSX’s Consulting Engineers, and the Developer on August 7, 2008.
CSX was not interested in a delayed closing. They expressed concerns on additional crossings and relayed their goal to reduce the number of crossings to improve safety as soon as possible. Carpenter Fire Station Road is an unsignalized crossing. CSX’s goal for new crossings is to close three crossings in exchange for one new crossing. We have already negotiated a deal that is less than the standard and there was no room left to modify the agreement more beneficial to the Town and less beneficial to CSX.
Staff has mapped out a preliminary schedule to better estimate the duration of the Carpenter Fire Station Road crossing closure. We believe the duration of the closure before construction begins on the bridge will be three and one-half years, May 2010 to October 2013. The crossing must close during bridge construction and road work as the locations overlap.
Fiscal Impact: Cary’s cost of the project is estimated to be $17M. Funding is in place for design and permitting in the amount of $3M. It is anticipated that construction funding must be in place no later than FY2015.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval to close the crossings. Since the roads are NCDOT maintained, the final approval occurs through a State process. Staff also recommends proceeding with development of appropriate agreements.