Rail line needs met with a series of ventures
Date: 11/7/2012
By Carley Dangona
carley@thereminder.comSPRINGFIELD — The expansion of the CSX Corp. railway, which runs through West Springfield, is in its beginning stages as a collaboration of agencies research solutions to accommodate the growth of the rail yard.
Current projects include street resurfacing, bridge construction and traffic monitoring and are being worked on by the town, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
During a recent presentation to the Town Council, Michele Cabral, Economic Development administrator and director of Emergency Management, described the town as being "at the crossroads of New England," and cited the goal of its master plan is "to create a strong, vibrant community."
In a separate interview, Cabral told
Reminder Publications, "I'd like our community to recognize CSX as a strong business partner — they are a Fortune 500 company. I'd like our community to remember that the rail and trucking industries are the backbone that provides goods to commercial businesses."
In an earlier article by
Reminder Publications, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray was quoted stating that the Commonwealth intends to create a commuter rail from Springfield to Worcester, which directly impacts West Springfield because the number of freight trains utilizing the rail yard will increase.
While the expansion of the commuter line is years away, projects are ongoing to address the freight needs of CSX and its customers, to improve the areas of the town that support the rail line.
Robert Colson, director of the Department of Public Works (DPW), commented on the Memorial Avenue resurfacing project. "We have a $325,000 capital budget for the project, which is currently in the engineering design phase," he said.
Colson added that a main step in the process is the use of borings that will act as samples of the pavement in order to define the "scope and breadth of the corridor's reconstruction, which runs from Union Street to the Big C Curve [675 Memorial Ave., the location of Central Chevrolet]."
He also stated, "We're working with Tighe & Bond, who have extensive knowledge in place from their previous work on the replacement of the waterline in that area. In addition, underground cameras will be placed to assess the drainage [effectiveness] and sanitary [hazards] along the corridor.
"The subsurface investigation will determine if the town should opt for a short-term option to address immediate safety needs, where the road would be milled and paved to smooth it out, or whether a complete reconstruction is in order.
"We would like to get Transportation Improvement funding from MassDOT for the work, but that process can take five to 10 years. MassDOT does a great job; that time frame demonstrates how organized MassDOT is — they have projects planned that far in advance," he continued.
Colson further stated that the DPW wants to consider the needs and wants of all involved in and affected by the project. He referenced the Big E's 100th Anniversary, which falls in 2016, stating that it would be great to have this project finalized in time for the event.
However, he was unable to offer a timeframe for the Memorial Avenue project since it's in the preliminary stages.
The other components of the work are being spearheaded by the PVPC.
One area of focus is the Union Street Bridge, which is too low to pass under. "MassDOT is still working with CSX to develop an appropriate design," Gary Roux, principal planner for PVPC, said.
The PVPC is also in the process of monitoring traffic to assess the amount of trucks entering and exiting the rail yard, in order to pinpoint the peak times of impact to the area.
"We have a base of information available from our 2004 traffic assessment, which we are in the process of updating," Roux explained. "We are comparing the current volume of traffic [to the previous data] and breaking it down by class [vehicle type] and time of day.
"The North End Rotary is of critical importance because that is where the truck traffic enters [West Springfield] from Interstate 91.
"The rotary isn't an ideal entrance for trucks, and we know this from the feedback of the trucking companies and by the very function of the area because it's where the town green and historical area is located.
"Once the Union Street Bridge project becomes a reality, the truck traffic can shift to the commercial corridor on Memorial Avenue," he said, adding that currently no plans exist to change any of the rotaries into modern roundabouts," he continued.
Roux described the overall goal of the traffic research. "We not just looking at the data, we're going to analyze it and make a serious of recommendations that will not only provide initial short-term relief, but will accommodate the growth of the railroad and the neighborhood over the next 10 to 15 years," he said.
