Railroad tie repairs cause traffic snarl
By Catharin Shepard
Published in News on November 19, 2010 1:46 PM
Full Size
News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
The intersection of Royall Avenue, Berkeley Boulevard and Central Heights Road was closed for most of Thursday and into this morning while the North Carolina Railroad Co. replaced cross ties on the tracks. The road was expected to be reopened by later today, Department of Transportation officials said.
Railroad improvement work closed the intersection of Royall Avenue, Berkeley Boulevard and Central Heights Road for most of Thursday and into this morning, creating traffic snarls and long delays and detours for drivers.
The state Department of Transportation closed the railroad crossing while the North Carolina Railroad Co. replaced the cross ties along the stretch of track.
If the work proceeds on schedule, the intersection should reopen later today, NCDOT workers reported.
Chris Pendergraph, Wayne County maintenance engineer with the state DOT, said the railroad company began working on the track around 9 a.m. Thursday and finished after the state's asphalt plant had closed for the day, requiring the DOT to keep the road closed through today.
"That's a railroad project, they had to come through. They're replacing, from what I understand, basically all the railroad crossings all the way from the coast," Pendergraph said.
The NCDOT has an agreement with the railroad company to supply and pay for the asphalt repair after the crossing is replaced. Pendergraph said the intersection should reopen this afternoon.