A Long Time Coming: Gramercy’s East Railroad Avenue Rerouted And Reopened
At a dedication event held on Saturday, Gramercy’s Railroad Avenue community got back its street that serves as an outlet to South Airline Avenue.
The A section of South Railroad Avenue became a dead end in 2017 when railroad company Canadian National installed crossing arms, but did so right in the middle of the street and forced the street to be closed to vehicle traffic.
Like everything else, COVID-19 has even changed the way traditional ribbon cutting ceremonies are held, so last Saturday a ribbon-breaking ceremony was held instead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony when a car driven by a resident became the first to use the newly opened intersection.
“We just wanted to do something different and have a car drive and break the ribbon,” said Gramercy Mayor Steve Nosacka.
The event garnered approximately 100 people.
“This street can take you to any dream you may have,” Nosacka told the group at the dedication service.
The late Alderwoman Betty Cooper-Coleman, who died in 2019, tirelessly worked to restore an outlet to the community which borders the railroad tracks, Nosacka said.
“We know that Mrs. Betty is smiling today. She worried about opening this street even during her illness,” Nosacka additionally said after the dedication ceremony.
“We are thrilled to see this project reach completion, from its initial proposal to its completion,” he said. “We all welcomed the installation of these crossing arms and the added safety and protection that they would give to all of us. But, this added protection came at a cost. The crossing arm at South Airline Avenue would need to be placed right in the middle of East Railroad Avenue, one of our busiest intersections,” Nosacka said.
“This caused the complete closure of that intersection, and since then the residents, service providers and business people have had to divert to the South Millet Avenue crossing, which was never designed to handle that added traffic volume. Our residents would be inconvenienced and access for emergency services would certainly be impacted,” Nosacka said. “We brought in engineers, met with the State and the Railroad, and began formulating a plan to accomplish the much-needed road relocation.”
“It has taken many months of design, the completing of all of the permits and requests, seeking all of the required approvals, and for the past seven months simply waiting for the Mississippi River level to go down so that drainage excavation at the site could be allowed,” the Mayor further said.
“And now, with over $100,000 of Town funds invested, the Relocation is a Reality, and our residents now have the use of two-way access in and out of that intersection,” said Nosacka.
“Access for emergency services, the convenience of multiple paths for travel, and the reduction of the traffic volume at other intersections will benefit our entire community for years to come,” Nosacka said.