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Improvements coming to Maple and Southern railroad crossing in Boardman
BOARDMAN
Several years of discussions to make one township railroad crossing safer may soon pay off.
With the help of grant funding from the Ohio Rail Development Commission, Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad plans to make some improvements to the crossing at Maple Avenue and Southern Boulevard this fall.
The project will include drainage improvements, raising the rail line several inches, and smoothing and widening the crossing. Although not included in this project, there also are plans to add a traffic light at that intersection.
Powell Felix, president of Y&S, said the improvements will make a difference for those who drive over the crossing.
“The thing that motorists will notice is there will be a new surface made out of concrete that’ll be smooth and nice to drive on,” he said.
The rail line will share the cost of the project with the state, with the state contributing 90 percent of the funds, said ORDC spokeswoman Julianne Finnegan.
Finnegan said an agreement to move forward on the project was reached after the ORDC evaluated the intersection and determined it needed safety improvements.
“We’ve had this crossing on our radar for a while,” she said. “The community has repeatedly reached out to us” regarding the need for improvements.
Township Trustee Tom Costello, who has been outspoken in the past with his concerns about the safety and upkeep of the crossing, said he is “extremely pleased” that the railroad company is “finally moving forward with improvements that so desperately have needed done for so long.”
Costello said his primary concern is safety, especially for motorists turning from Maple to southbound Southern Boulevard.
“You take your life into your hands” when making that turn, he said. “So that we do not have a serious problem there, we need that signal up.”
He has heard complaints, too, from motorists whose vehicles have been damaged while driving over the crossing, he said. Raising the rail line by a few inches will eliminate the dip over which motorists currently have to drive.
Felix noted that the area surrounding the crossing has changed considerably over the last few decades.
“Twenty to 30 years ago, there was no through street to the mall or anything like that,” he said. “Now there’s lots of traffic. It’s kind of an updating of the whole facility. It’s not like we’ve been ignoring it. It’s taken considerable effort and a couple of years to get everyone on the same page with this.”
The planned completion date for the project is Oct. 15, according to the ORDC. Plans for installation of a traffic light have not yet been finalized.
In addition to the work being managed by Y&S, the township plans to complete some minor drainage work in the area.
A contractor has not yet been selected for the project. The crossing will be closed for a few days during the work.
“It’s now moving forward, and I’m just thankful it’s getting done before someone gets hurt,” said Costello.
“We thank everybody for working through this,” said Felix. “This has not been easy because of the multiple jurisdictions, and everybody wants to get a good result.”