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The second phase of Norfolk Southern’s installation of new rail will begin Sunday in Claypool.
In recent weeks, the railroad had been placing new rails from Claypool to Milford along existing tracks.
This second phase of the project is expected to take approximately 4 weeks to complete and will cause more extensive delays, the railroad warned in a news release coordinated with the city of Warsaw.
How extensive is the upcoming work that will replace decades-old rails?
Numerous machines and more than 50 people will be part of the installation project. The “rail gang” equipment will stretch over a mile of track, which will cause multiple crossing closures at one time.
While work occurs in Warsaw, crossings over the stretch of a mile may all be closed simultaneously for six or more hours.
The rail gang will work Sunday through Wednesday of each week. Paving and other crossing improvements on Thursdays and Fridays may cause additional disruptions, Norfolk Southern said.
However, crossings will not be left torn out between Thursday and Saturday.
Crews will move north at a pace of approximately 1 to 1.5 miles per day. Sunday’s work will not likely affect any county road crossings; however, there is a possibility that the gang could reach County Road 550 S before the end of the day.
By next Tuesday or Wednesday, the gang could reach the area of Dogwood Drive, La Vista Drive, and Ranch Road.
Part of Dogwood Drive and La Vista Drive will be cut off. As a result, residents will be given at least 24-hour notice of this closure by hand delivered flyers.
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory personnel will be positioned at the Dogwood Drive crossing for the duration of the closure, and Norfolk Southern will be prepared to create emergency access to the neighborhood, if needed. If residents are not comfortable remaining in the neighborhood during the closure, they should make alternate arrangements.
Next week’s work should end just south of the Pope Street crossing in Warsaw.
During the week of June 24, work is expected to begin at Pope Street in Warsaw and move north, ending near Levi Lee Road.
At that time, Hickory Street will close for approximately two weeks to prepare for safety upgrades this fall and reconstruction of the roadway.
Either the Market or Center Street crossing is expected to reopen to cross traffic within two days. The other crossing, along with the Main Street crossing, will also be closed for a two-week period.
Motorists are strongly encouraged to plan extra travel time and use US 30 to cross town, the railroad release said.
The week of July 1, crews are expected to work north from Levi Lee Road to the area of County Road 600 N, and the Leesburg side track will also be completed at this time. The remainder of the project from the Town of Leesburg northward will follow.
Closures are expected to last six or more hours at a time at most crossings. Some closures could last for most of a day. All crossings will be repaired with cold patch temporarily to open crossings to vehicle traffic, then they will be repaired and paved properly as the project progresses.
Local emergency services are planning accordingly for these.
Motorists are asked to use extra caution and patience while this project is completed.
For questions or concerns, residents and businesses should contact the mayor’s office at 574-372-9595.
