Stopped traffic. Dangerous crossings. Osceola's train traffic woes could be solved. Here's how

SOUTH BEND — A reprieve could be on the way for the thousands of motorists who travel Lincoln Way East through Osceola every day and are often stymied by trains — sometimes stopped trains — at intersecting Ash, Apple and Beech roads and Chestnut Street.

A study that could bring an overpass or underpass to the town to improve train crossing safety is being done.

The St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission is hiring Abonmarche Consultants at a cost of $72,000 for a "hazard elimination and mobility study" to look at Ash Road/Lincoln Way East traffic and the seven at-grade railroad crossings in between Capital Avenue and Indiana 19 in Elkhart County.

Rough going: Motorists perturbed by bumpy railroad crossing

The study is being paid for by the recent influx of infrastructure money from federal sources. And, recent changes in the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program and others focusing on rail safety could be tapped for such improvements, officials say.

Osceola — sitting just west of Elkhart's Robert Young rail yards — has for decades borne the brunt of train traffic that often stops west of the rail yard, blocking motorists from crossings at Ash, Apple and Beech roads and Chestnut Street.

Drivers trying to go to work, school or traveling north-south either sit out the train delay or drive to other nearby crossings, trying to "beat the trains."

"There are times every day when we can see a train stopped here," said Denese Thornburg, Osceola town clerk-treasurer. Of the study, she said, "This is a good first step. We would love to see an overpass."

Recent traffic counts show there are 14,000 motorists who daily use the Ash Road-Lincoln Way intersection, which is less than 100 feet from the Norfolk Southern tracks.

Bill Schalliol, executive director of economic development for St. Joseph County, said last week the rail traffic through Osceola is only getting busier, so the timing for the study is right.

The study will:

— create a map with traffic counts of all areas affected by the rail crossings in the designated area.

— present a "red flag" system of various environmental, utility, right-of-way and other factors that would affect any proposed construction and planning projects.

— offer detailed pros and cons of a potential overpass or underpass in Osceola where there now are four at-grade crossings.

— study Beech Road relating to its north-south connectivity through Osceola, in addition to the potential evaluation of a possible connection to the St. Joseph Valley Parkway. (In planning stages for the current U.S. 20 Bypass, there were proposals for an exit at Beech Road, but the exit did not make the final site plans.)

Schalliol told the commission last week the study is expected to take three to four months.

State Sen. Linda Rogers, whose district includes Osceola, asked the commission to approve the study.

Rogers cited the September 2018 death of 23-year-old Osceola resident Frankie Reeves, who died in a crash with a train at the Ash Road crossing. After waiting more than 20 minutes for a slow-moving train to clear the crossing, Reeves reportedly went around the downed crossing gates to try to get to work when his truck was struck by a second train traveling 60 mph.

"We have to keep in mind, it's not if this tragedy will happen again, but when," Rogers said. "So we as a community clearly need to work together to see if we can solve this problem."

Osceola measures

Meanwhile, the longstanding train crossing issue is also being addressed by Osceola officials, as the Town Council just last week got word that Norfolk Southern is proposing to close the Chestnut Street crossing to traffic later this year.

The Chestnut crossing's proximity to the other town crossings has prompted the closure.

Thornburg said though town officials have often tried to address the issues regarding the train crossings, the town's budget prevented much progress. She said she and others welcome the prospect of an overpass or underpass, but she cautioned that the area's high water table and any business relocation because of the large amounts of property needed for such infrastructure should be factors in any future decisions.

Email South Bend Tribune reporter Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Osceola train crossing study could mean overpass or underpass