Town Neck Railroad Crossing Gets $450,000 Makeover

By: Alex Scofield
Published: 12/11/09

The railroad crossing at the intersection of Tupper and Town Neck roads recently got a $450,000 facelift.

Early in November, the crossing that lies on the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad’s line was outfitted with three new gates, seven pairs of large warning lights and a 22-foot-tall cantilever that extends about 24 feet over the roadway, all in an effort to increase its visibility to oncoming drivers and pedestrians.

John T. Pearson, general manager of MassCoastal, said that the crossing was on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s list of areas eligible for funds to improve its safety and visibility.

The last time work was done on the crossing was about 1985, said MassCoastal Program Manager Mark G. O’Hara.

There was also significant work done on the surface where the tracks cross the roadway, Mr. Pearson said.

First, a new section of track was laid across the crossing.

Mr. Pearson explained that the lines that lie in the crossing are subject to factors that cause them to deteriorate faster than other sections of the track, like exposure to road salt and plow blades.

He said that because the joints that hold together sections of track are also more prone to damage, two 39-foot sections of track were welded together and laid across the crossing.

Where the roadway meets the crossing, seven-foot-long concrete panels weighing about five tons were laid atop a stone dust foundation, in order to reduce the amount of friction for vehicles crossing over the lines.

The panels, which have a rubber lining around their edges and unlike asphalt are not susceptible to frost heaves, also help hold the tracks in place, Mr. Pearson said.

Mr. Pearson said there are several other crossings in nearby towns that were recently renovated to increase safety and driver comfort.

Among them was the Elm Street Crossing, which was also paid for by the Massachusetts DOT, and the Briarwood and County road crossings, both of which are in Bourne.

1 Responses to "Town Neck Railroad Crossing Gets $450,000 Makeover"

1. hillport1911 says: 12/24/09
   

   Unfortunately, the crossing at Town Neck Rd seems to be another case of a rush to spend the money with no consideration given to the appropriate oversight. This crossing is located in the historic district and should have gone before the local board for approval. According to Chapter 470 of the Mass General Law, the 1973 Historic District Act; Federal, State, and Local governments are not exempt from review by the Historic District Committee. For those who are not familiar with this crossing, it is located at the entrance to the marina area and includes a quaint residential neighborhood. The trash train goes by two times a day and the dinner and tourist train add a few more trips in season....that is all! To the best of my knowledge there have been no accidents involving a train at that crossing. As the article states, there are now seven pairs of huge lights pointing in all direction, and a monstrous cantilever that rises twenty two feet into the air. You nreglected to mention the grotesque, shiny metal building next to the tracks.To say that this project was a facelift would imply that there was an improvement. To the contrary, this crossing now looks like the entrance to Grand Central Station rather than a properly designed crossing that blends in with it's surroundings.