(The following story by Julie Perry appeared on the Marysville Advocate website on March 11.)
MARYSVILLE, Kan. — Traffic will be rerouted at least once a week, and likely no more than twice a week, when the Union Pacific Railroad starts laying sub-ballast on the $45 million grade separation, flood control and railroad relocation project here. This work could start Thursday or Friday.
Marysville City Council asked Lance George, manager of special projects for UP, to post signs to reroute traffic when the railroad starts unloading 60-car trains. Sub-ballast is a 6-inch layer of gravel that will be put over a sub-grade. Eventually 12 to 13 miles of main and yard train track will be laid on top. The project is to be finished in 2005.
Project personnel will start unloading the sub-ballast at the west and south side of town where the former Kramer Oil fueling station was and near Spring Creek.
George said that there would be between 30 and 40 trains coming in during the six months loaded with sub-ballast. Trains will back down the Bestwall spur.
While Carolina, Broadway and Center streets should remain open during the unloading, streets affected will be Koester, South, Jackson, Oak, Spring and Walnut.
George said it will take between 4 and 5 hours to unload a train. George said there would be up to two moves of the train between Elm and Koester, four moves on Jackson and maybe another three when the train gets to Walnut. Jackson Street could be blocked as long a 2 1/2 hours. Walnut could be blocked as long as 30 minutes.
George said trains will be expected once a week and will eventually increase to two trains a week.
Crews have been working to clear the area for the first train. Rains could delay the movement of the sub-ballast.
On top of the sub-ballast workers will put drains, track and ballast. Tracks will be raised up through the ballast.
George said the project is on schedule and the railroad project could be finished in the middle of 2005.