2015/08/24 - Walter's Blog: Railroad Line & Venita Overpass

We have received some questions regarding the CSX closure of the O’Fallon rail line. In particular, why would the City of O’Fallon build a $7 million railroad overpass when CSX was going to close the railroad? The simple answer is we wouldn’t. Of course, we would not spend the money for an overpass if the railroad had told us they were closing the line. There are many other things we could spend the money on to improve the community.

The fact is that we inquired with CSX about the status of the O’Fallon rail line when we began the project and they told us it was a viable line. The overpass project was paid through a combination of 60% state grant ($4,095,941), 35% City match ($2,389,299), and 5% CSX contribution ($341,328). It is reasonable to assume that CSX would not have agreed to contribute $341,328 to the project if they knew they were closing the line. However, circumstances change and CSX may have later felt it was in their economic interest to temporarily close the line.

O’Fallon has had an overpass on the east side of town for many years and it had been a priority to build an overpass on the west side for at least 15 years. CSX trains often stopped at Venita to change drivers, so the waiting could be extreme at times. About five years ago, we received a state grant to fund 60% of an overpass at Venita Drive. The local match was 40% but CSX agreed to pay 5% of the project. With most of O’Fallon’s growth in the north and west areas of town, the City Council felt it was important to provide an efficient method to travel to  Hwy. 50 and I-64. In addition, a new fire station was needed on the west side and it was essential to have quick access to both the Hwy. 50 commercial corridor and the residential neighborhoods to the north and west. At the time of construction in August 2104, CSX did not indicate to us they would be closing the railroad.

CSX’s official statement revealed that the line is closed temporarily but did not provide any information on when or if it may be reopened. With the information we had at the time and the understanding from CSX that the O’Fallon line would remain open, we felt the Venita overpass was a good investment for traffic flow and public safety. We do our best to provide services and projects for the best taxpayer value, and if the closure turns out to be temporary then the overpass will still be a worthwhile project. In the meantime, motorists can enjoy no waiting on all of O’Fallon’s railroad crossings!

 

Actions from Monday’s City Council meeting:
  • Resolution for the engineering design of the West Highway 50 & Old Collinsville Road Intersection: The contract is with Rhutasel & Associates not to exceed $67,000 to design intersection improvements including right turn lanes.
  • Ordinance regarding additional stop signs in the Windsor Creek (2nd Reading): a new phase of the subdivision is complete, so stop signs need to be installed.
  • Ordinances annexing approximately 101.61 acres and approving the Bethel Farms Subdivision (2nd Reading): this is for a new 101-acre residential subdivision off of Bethel School Road.
  • Ordinance approving Lake at St. Ellen’s Plaza (2nd Reading): this is to rezone 5.18 acres along Old Collinsville Road from commercial to multifamily for new duplex units.
  • Ordinance approving sidewalk dining (2nd Reading): this allows for downtown restaurants to provide outdoor dining.