ASHTABULA — With the buzz of a chain saw, construction has started on a new overpass that will span the railroad tracks on West Avenue.
Throughout the past day or two, workers have begun cutting down trees along a stretch of West Avenue to clear the way for a $10.1 million bridge that will lift vehicle traffic over two sets of railroad tracks. Houses will be razed, utility poles shifted and underground lines rerouted this spring and summer through a residential area that’s already been vacated along West Avenue, just a stone’s throw south of the old Tops grocery store.
Come September, work will begin on the bridge, which finally will give the city’s safety and rescue forces an uninterrupted route to southside neighborhoods.
“The demolition contract is under way,” said Patricia Kennard, Ohio Department of Transportation District 4 spokeswoman. “Once they clear the area, it makes everything much simpler.”
The West Avenue project has been in the works for years, soon after the state created a railroad grade-separation program to help communities affected by the 1999 acquisition of Conrail by Norfolk Southern and CSX railways. The merger created a lot of train traffic along a northern Ohio corridor, which frequently clogs crossings.
Conneaut was the first Ashtabula County community to participate in the state’s grade-separation program, with a bridge on Parrish Road. It opened in December 2007.
A bridge in Geneva is under construction, and now it’s Ashtabula’s turn, ODOT officials said.
While the West Avenue overpass is being constructed, traffic will be diverted to nearby Nathan Avenue. Ashtabula police advise motorists to approach the steep railroad crossing like any other intersection: slow down and look carefully for oncoming traffic, as well as trains.
As it is now, a long train can block traffic in the city and, more important, safety and rescue forces.
The overpass project is a joint effort between the city and ODOT. The city’s portion of the project is about $190,000, City Auditor Michael Zullo has said.
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Workers prep West Avenue for its new railroad overpass
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