Construction is underway on a two-lane overpass on the south side of Old Spanish Trail in Mossville, a project officials have said will maintain traffic flow along the roadway once Kansas City Southern Railway expands its rail yard.
John Bruce, project engineer with the Calcasieu Parish engineering department, said Friday that crews have cleared the site and are installing 170 steel pilings that are 20 inches in diameter and 115 feet long. The overpass should be in service by next August or September, he said.
KCS is looking to add two more railway crossings to the one already on the north side of Old Spanish Trail between Lyons Avenue and Bel Air Street. Bruce said that sparked concerns about the safety of drivers having to cross that many railways, along with additional stops that would lead to traffic jams. Because of this, KCS agreed to fund the entire cost of building the overpass, estimated at $7 million-$8 million.
The overpass will be about 1,000 feet long and will include 24 feet of vertical clearance over Old Spanish Trail, Bruce said. While KCS is moving forward with work on its additional rail lines, he said no work will be done along the existing crossing at Old Spanish Trail until the overpass is finished and in service.
District 14 Calcasieu Police Juror Hal McMillin said the KCS railway expansion is largely being done because of increased train traffic expected from the Sasol expansion project. He said the overpass is needed because Old Spanish Trail is a “major east-to-west corridor” from Westlake to Sulphur.
“It will give us open access for the road not to be bottlenecked by trains,” McMillin said. “It’s going to be a real asset for Southwest Louisiana to get this done.”
Bruce said the overpass will also aid in getting residents to evacuate safely in the event of a hurricane or other emergency.
Illinois-based Ragnar Benson Construction LLC is the project’s primary contractor.
from American Press: Your Best News And Advertising Source - Home http://ift.tt/2bSMX32
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment