Grant to help alleviate Monroe railroad crossing frustrations

Ryan Loren, The Monroe News
·4 min read
A new overpass for the CSX railroad tracks crossing at West Elm Ave. in Monroe east of the Monroe Family YMCA is proposed.
A new overpass for the CSX railroad tracks crossing at West Elm Ave. in Monroe east of the Monroe Family YMCA is proposed.

Commuter frustrations with railroad crossings in the city of Monroe will soon get some relief.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $23,964,400 grant to Monroe to aid in the design and construction of a new overpass for the CSX railroad on West Elm Avenue just east of North Telegraph Road.

The construction will lift the train crossing over traffic in order to prevent delays, improve response times for emergency vehicles, and increase safety for pedestrians and motorists.

"We are grateful for this direct federal investment award in local community infrastructure for a much-needed railroad grade separation on a primary artery through our city," Mayor Robert E. Clark said. "This project funding will significantly improve traffic flow and safety response times for emergency vehicles within the city."

Train crossings in the city have been studied extensively since at least 2008, said Patrick Lewis, the city's director of engineering and public services. Those reports, including one conducted in 2022, were used to apply for the federal grant late last year.

"It's always been one of the major issues facing the city," Lewis said. "When this fund availability came out and was specifically set aside for rail-related projects like underpasses, we felt like we had as strong a case as anybody because of just how many railroad tracks we have in the city. We focused on the locations we can move the quickest and had already studied in the past and that was the west-side crossings."

A study last year focused on three crossings at West Elm, West Front, and West Seventh. The report concluded that Elm would be the best candidate for the grant funds due to its greater arterial access through the city compared to Seventh and its minimal impact on surrounding properties compared to Front.

Additionally, the report concluded that the cost of Elm construction would be "significantly less" compared to Front. The city is required to come up with a 20% match of the grant funds with 5% of that coming from CSX. The total cost of the project is around $30 million.

"West Elm was about $6 million cheaper," Lewis said. "And there's a lot less property acquisition and less impact. Also, the Elm crossing is already higher, so it's easier for the road to go underneath at that location because the crossing is higher."

A new overpass for the CSX railroad tracks crossing at West Elm Ave. in Monroe east of the Monroe Family YMCA is proposed.
A new overpass for the CSX railroad tracks crossing at West Elm Ave. in Monroe east of the Monroe Family YMCA is proposed.

The city expects construction to tentatively start in spring 2026. The design process will be the next stage of the project and contract bidding will happen sometime later.

"These projects are pretty big undertakings, so the timing can always change," Lewis said. "There can be a lot of complications with a project like this."

Lewis said that plans need to be made to relocate the Mason Run drain that runs parallel with the track along with the potential acquisition of two residential properties east of the crossing.

Building an overpass for the CSX railroad tracks at West Elm Street in Monroe was projected to cost less than doing an overpass at West Front Street and more beneficial than doing on at West Seventh Street.
Building an overpass for the CSX railroad tracks at West Elm Street in Monroe was projected to cost less than doing an overpass at West Front Street and more beneficial than doing on at West Seventh Street.

The design process for the overpass and roadway could take up to two years, Lewis added, and the bidding process could take another six months.

Construction is expected to be completed in early 2028.

"We certainly want the project to go as quickly as it can go, but realistically the earliest possible date (to start construction) is 2026," Lewis said. "...And our best guess is probably an 18-month construction window."

Both Elm and the railway are expected to remain open for the majority of the construction. A temporary road and track are being considered to minimize downtime, Lewis said.

U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow were involved in helping to secure the grant for the city. The funding is made available through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, which was established through the bipartisan infrastructure law the Senators helped enact.

"I have heard firsthand the challenges caused by this railroad crossing, from traffic back-ups to safety issues,” Peters said in a news release. "That’s why I supported the City of Monroe’s effort and am pleased to welcome this federal funding for a new rail overpass that will allow for more efficient transport of goods, while helping ease traffic and safety issues for motorists and pedestrians and improve emergency response times."

Added Stabenow: "The CSX railroad is a vital shipping corridor for Michigan’s automotive industry. With four railroad crossings in Monroe, there are no options for local detour routes across the tracks. This new railroad crossing will improve traffic flow in and around Monroe, increase the safety of drivers and pedestrians, and allow our emergency workers to get to people in need faster."

The CSX route links shippers in Western Canada and the auto industry in Metro Detroit. It is a busy railroad corridor in Monroe with approximately 13 trains crossing through per day. A study in July 2022 counted 25 crossings in one 24-hour period with an average traffic delay of over three minutes.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Grant to help alleviate Monroe railroad crossing frustrations