The railroad crossing on Highway 25 just north of the county
line is proof that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Hollister – The railroad crossing on Highway 25 just north of the county line is proof that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
After fielding a slew of complaints about the jostling crossing and finally a mandate from the state to repair it, Union Pacific Railroad crews finished construction Sunday evening after closing a portion of the highway over the weekend, according to UP spokesman John Bromley.
“My understanding was it was very rough – nobody disputed that,” Bromley said. “It should be like brand new now.”
Crews worked on the crossing between 7am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday and were able to finish quickly because of a full road closure, Bromley said. Traffic heading into Santa Clara County from Hollister was detoured off Highway 25 onto Bloomfield Road, then back onto Highway 101.
While one lane was still closed Monday so Caltrans workers could finish paving portions of the road outside the crossing, Bromley said UP was pleased crews finished on schedule without any problems or setbacks.
The California Public Utilities Commission ordered UP to have the crossing fixed by mid-May after receiving a large number of citizen complaints – not to mention the danger it posed to motorists, according to spokeswoman Terrie Prosper.
An inspector with the Public Utilities Commission reported that the concrete in the panels between the tracks was cracked and disjointed, and because of the severe jostling motorists would noticeably slow down and often drive onto the shoulder to avoid crossing them. The Public Utilities Commission issued a mandate after a large number of citizen complaints came in. Complaints from Free Lance readers – the condition of the tracks is a common complaint heard in the paper’s Red Phone column – helped expedite the process, according to Bromley.
Bromley said workers replaced the broken panels in between the tracks and slightly raised the ground underneath the crossing to bring it in line with the crossing.
Because workers raised the ground around the crossing approximately 3 inches, Caltrans workers kept one lane of traffic closed from 9am to 3pm Monday to bring the areas approaching the crossing in each direction into compliance, said Caltrans District 4 spokeswoman Brigetta Smith.
“We did additional paving to make sure things are smooth,” Smith said. “They only pave within so many feet, so we go out to make sure its as seamless as possible.”
While Bromley didn’t have an exact figure for the cost of the repairs by press time, he previously estimated the job could leave UP at least $20,000 poorer. Although UP had to pony up the largest amount of money, the railroad company wasn’t the only one who was left out of pocket due to the troublesome tracks. One Hollister woman said the extreme jostling of the tracks broke the flywheel of her car and cost her $600 in repairs.
San Benito County Supervisor Reb Monaco said the crossing has always been a problem, and while he said Monday he hasn’t been over the line since its repair he’s glad to hear the problem has been rectified.
“They were very rough,” he said, “and they needed to be repaired.”
Although most people considered the crossing an inconvenience, the Public Utilities Commission ordered UP to smooth out the crossing because it was an accident waiting to happen, according to a letter the commission sent UP. Public Utilities Commission inspector Kevin Boles reported that it increased the risk for accidents because the rough crossing made motorists driving on the 55 mph highway slow to a crawl and often drive off the road and onto the shoulder to avoid driving over the most tremulous section.
Bromley didn’t know how long the tracks should last before repairs might be needed again. Repair time varies depending on use, what kind of vehicles regularly traverse it and weather conditions, he said.
“It should be good for a reasonable amount of time,” Bromley said. The crossing failed the reasonable amount of time test after the Public Utilities Commission inspected the panels to find them in disrepair only two years after they were inspected and found to be in good condition, Prosper said. Concrete panels are supposed to last 20 years, she said.
But as of now, Bromley hasn’t received any calls on the crossing, good or bad. After months of angry motorists lighting up his phone line, as far as he’s concerned, no news is good news.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
