Construction begins today on the long-awaited Duffy Street Railroad Crossing Project.
"We are sliding that crossing to the south so the turn won't be so severe," said City of Norman Capital Projects Engineer John Clink. "The new crossing will meet new standards, because the old crossing didn't."
The crossing will close 7 a.m. today between Monnett and Jones avenues, with construction projected to last about three months.
Duffy Street is the first railroad crossing upgrade project, paid for in part by $566,766 in general obligation bond funds approved by a 55 percent margin in 2005.
The crossing originally was slated for closure, but the upgrade was made possible with approval of voters on the same ballot as the $10 million approved for the Robinson Street Underpass Project.
The closure came from a railroad corridor safety project agreed to by Norman city councilmembers in 1996. The federal aid project called for the construction of safety improvements at 13 Norman railroad crossings and the complete closure of the Daws and Tonhawa street crossings. A pedestrian crossing was blueprinted for installation at Duffy under the safety project plan.
In 2001, city attorneys filed a motion asking the Corporation Commission to review the closing order on Duffy, and for time to present evidence the Duffy closing could be changed for a grade separation at Robinson Street.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission ruled in October 2005 that the Robinson Street project "is a more than adequate substitution for the closure of the Duffy Street crossing."
About 40 Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains travel through Norman daily.
Additional questions may be directed to Clink at 366-5424.
Carol Cole-Frowe 366-3538 ccole@normantranscript.com
Local news
Duffy Street railroad crossing construction starts today
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