State lawmakers gave a shot in the arm to southsiders hoping for a new rail crossing at a busy St Joe intersection.
The Missouri General Assembly approved budget measures that include $500,000 for the purchase of land for a new crossing at Lake Avenue and the Stockyards Expressway.
There are still design problems looming. For instance, engineers have decided a bridge over the railroad crossing could be too steep for truckers, and too close to the nearby highways.
A tunnel underneath the crossing is also being considered, but that would include extensive measures to prevent flooding.
Still, the money is a big boost for truckers, rail officials, school officials and nearby residents and workers alike. Numerous people have complained about train traffic delaying motor traffic and ambulances in the area.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A bridge project to relieve South Siders of train headaches received its first pill from the state Thursday.
The Missouri Legislature approved a construction budget that sends more than half a million dollars to the St. Joseph Regional Port Authority to buy land needed for a railroad bridge crossing between U.S. Highway 59 (Lake Avenue) and Missouri Highway 759 (Stockyards Expressway).
“This is a step in the direction of reality,” said Rep. Martin Rucker, D-St. Joseph. “I understand it seems like it’s never going to happen, but it’s been a real job finding the money for this.”
St. Joseph and Buchanan County leaders for years have racked their brains for funding sources in light of safety and traffic concerns.
