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ARIZONA CITY, Ariz. — Union Pacific Railroad is slowly repairing its crossings in Casa Grande, Ariz., according to the Casa Grande Dispatch.

The Thornton Road crossing was finished on Wednesday, city Public Works Director Bob Jackson said, and Florence and Sacaton streets have been paved as well.

Jackson said the railroad would now go to Hermosilla Street.

This morning, gravel was in the area next to the rails on Hermosilla, but no paving equipment had arrived.

When Hermosilla is upgraded, that leaves Trekell Road in the city, Jackson said.

The crossings became an issue at the Feb. 4 City Council meeting when Councilman Dick Powell pointed out that the railroad had started replacing wood strips along the rails at the crossings but had not finished the job. Instead of pavement, he said, the railroad had left loose gravel as fill, allowing the long wooden boards to pop up when vehicles crossed, sometimes snagging them and causing accidents.

At the Feb. 19 council meeting, Powell complained that the railroad had not finished the work.

“Just to follow through in the frustrations of trying to work with Union Pacific,” he said, “we still have the crossings where the situation has not been addressed to date.”

When the issue was brought up, Jackson told the council the railroad said it was having problems with an outside contractor for the work.

It’s a situation of the railroad not following through with a project, Jackson said.

When the railroad does crossing repairs throughout town, he said, the pavement is stripped away from the rails for about 6 inches to a foot. The long strips of wood – similar to lengthy railroad ties – are then dug out and replaced.

“They came back in and just threw some gravel in there” between the wood and the rails, he said.

Watchmen have been placed at the unrepaired crossings by the railroad.