Construction on the railroad crossing on Main Street in Cornelia’s downtown district is under way. Norfolk Southern work crews began construction in earnest Tuesday morning. By 10 a.m., the old paved crossing had already been removed and was being hauled away. Construction crews began working to remove one set of tracks to begin the work for the new rubberized crossing.
The track supervisor in charge of the project declined a formal interview due to company policy but did say that the project would be completed by Thursday. The rubberized crossing is a significant upgrade compared to the paved crossing. He said that the project would have a positive impact on the community.
As for train traffic, the track supervisor said that they are coordinating train travel through the area. That coordination will ensure no interruptions. One line of tracks will remain open to accommodate train traffic while the project is ongoing.
The railroad will install a full-depth rubber crossing to smooth travel over the tracks. The city has been working with Norfolk Southern Railroad on the project for over a year.
Commuters will encounter the railroad crossing closed to traffic through Thursday. The road closure will impact northbound and southbound traffic.
During the closure, northbound vehicle traffic will be detoured from Main Street onto Front Street, and southbound vehicle traffic will be detoured from Main Street onto Irvin Street and Clarkesville Street.
A long wait
Cornelia management and elected officials have been waiting quite sometime for this project to begin. “The city has been asking Norfolk Southern to fix this crossing for several years,” Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson said. He added, “We are very excited that this long overdue project is finally happening!”
Anderson thanked those that assisted in getting the project completed. “I want to thank Congressman Andrew Clyde, Senator Bo Hatchett, and Representative Victor Anderson for all of their help to finally get this project completed.”
The project is a partnership between the city of Cornelia, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and Norfolk Southern, with funding provided by Cornelia and GDOT.
