(The following article by Jaclyn O’Malley was posted on the Reno Gazette Journal website on October 17.)
RENO, Nevada — A major benchmark for Reno’s largest public works project in history occurred about 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
A small Union Pacific Railroad crew laid the first tracks in the U-shaped channel of the train trench, also known as the Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor.
“This is a significant milestone,” Granite Construction spokesman Dante Pistone said Sunday while watching the installation of railroad ties just west of the Keystone Avenue bridge. “This means the railroad (Union Pacific) has accepted the trench for use.
“We’re one step closer.”
Sunday’s site supervisor, Rick Mathews of Union Pacific, said the tracks should be completed sometime in December.
“Things are going very good,” he said. “We’ll be glad when it’s done.”
The train corridor will be mostly below street level in the central portion of Reno, with a center depth of about 33 feet, for 2.2 miles between West Second and Sutro streets.
The $282 million project was designed to separate the tracks from 11 pedestrian and vehicle crossings at street level.
Reduction in noise should be the first thing people notice when the trench opens, officials said.
Joe Harrison, who was fueling his car at the Winners Corner next to the Keystone Bridge, said he’ll be glad when the project is over.
“It’ll be nice not having to deal with all the noise and waiting for the trains to cross,” the Reno resident said.
This week, the following streets will be closed in connection with the project, according to Granite Construction’s Web site:
— Vine Street at the ReTRAC trench until early November.
— Washington Street at the ReTRAC trench through Oct. 28.
— Ralston Street will have lane restrictions southbound at the ReTRAC trench today through Friday.
— Sierra Street will have lane restrictions at the ReTRAC trench through Oct. 27.
— Center Street will have intermittent lane restrictions at the ReTRAC trench until the middle of October.
— Lake Street at the ReTRAC trench until the end of November.