The city of Bryan continues to wait for Union Pacific railroad (U.P.) for the necessary permits to proceed with millions of dollars of railroad crossings improvements related to a downtown quiet zone.
City engineer Paul Kaspar told the city council during a special meeting last Thursday that the delays include rebuilding the Groesbeck Street crossing. Because U.P. has not given a permit to do construction on its property, Kaspar says the earliest the rebuilt crossing will be completed is the winter of 2023.
Kaspar told the council that U.P. is working through a stack of applications.
Mayor Andrew Nelson recalled during a prior meeting with U.P. officials that the city’s project has an impact on U.P. outside the quiet zone.
The current cost estimate for the Groesbeck crossing and modifying other railroad crossings for a quiet zone is $5.5 million dollars. Kaspar says that does not account for inflation. And construction contracts have not been solicited.
The council’s current budget for the project includes $340,000 dollars in reserves.
Kaspar says U.P. has given some permits to allow the city to proceed with finishing medians blocking motorists from driving around railroad crossing gates. Construction of the first phase of medians is supposed to be completed sometime this winter.
Click below for comments from the July 28, 2022 Bryan city council meeting.