SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A railroad crossing that caused backups and frustration for drivers is no more.
Tuesday, a new overpass carrying Nansemond Parkway over the Commonwealth Railway near Wilroy Road opened to traffic after nearly a decade of planning and construction.
The new bridge eliminates the need for longtime railroad grade crossing near same intersection, that “prompted unsafe driver decisions” according to the city.
It’s the only project of its type to be completed in the region in the last several years. City Manager Al Moor said it is “fantastic” to have it open, given the issues the city has had between cars and trains.
“I think, those who travel throughout the city, especially from north to south, is going to find this is just a great benefit,” Moor said. “When a train coming in from the [Port of Virginia] it won’t impact traffic. Of course, the trains are longer, a lot more product coming through from the port, so it just has a greater impact.”
Previously, traffic looking to continue south on Nansemond Parkway during a train crossing had to wait for the train to cross, preventing traffic from making a right on Wilroy Road when a train was crossing. In addition, sometimes trains stand on the crossing while movements are being made in the nearby yard.
“Now we have an escape hatch, I would call it,” Moor said.
While $27 million was initially allocated for the project, the final project cost came in around $22 million, a city spokesperson confirmed.
The former grade crossing is in the process of being removed and signals still need to become operational. A spokesperson said the project should be completed by August.
“I think someone who we need to thank also was [former Delegate] Chris Jones when he was in the House of Delegates on the appropriations committee,” Moor said. “He helped us get sufficient funding to make it a reality.”
The project was funded through a mix of federal, state and local tax dollars.
Currently there are no plans to do a similar project anywhere else in the city. However, Moor would like that to change.
“We can name probably 40 other ones that we need to do,” Moor said. “We have, up Nansemond Parkway and on Shoulders Hill Road, we have impacts of the same line coming from the port which we need to address in the future.”
While Moor retires at the end of the month, he is hopeful a recently launched regional effort gains traction.
“Funding is always the bottom line,” Moor said. “So we’ll be working on that, or the city will be working on that, and, so hopefully we’ll be successful.”
