(The following story by Brent D. Wistrom appeared on The Wichita Eagle website on October 16.)
WICHITA, Kan. — If everything goes right, Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains will begin using the Central Railroad Corridor today, easing the flow of traffic on Central, Murdock and 13th Street.
The corridor bridges will carry an average of 38 trains a day over some of the city’s busiest intersections.
Two rail companies use the tracks that cut through downtown — Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific.
Drivers will still have to stop for seven to 20 Union Pacific trains until the project is complete sometime next year.
The yearlong work includes elevating the tracks used by Union Pacific trains and removing the retired tracks on the roadways beneath the bridges.
Public Works Director Chris Carrier said there’s still a chance that Burlington Northern Santa Fe may not be ready to use the corridor.
No one will know until today, he said.
The two-mile railroad overpass spans some of the busiest streets downtown. It cost an estimated $105 million.