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The county plans to rebuild a railroad crossing at the south end of the road with locked gates that only emergency vehicles can use, said David Kramer, Winona County’s highway engineer.
Kramer spoke Tuesday morning at the Winona County Board of Commissioners meeting, where the board approved an amended agreement to pay for additional costs associated with a related railroad underpass project.
Dresbach’s underpass eliminated five at-grade crossings to make the area safer and remove the need for trains to blow horns while passing.
But the project also created an unintended problem: Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles could enter the frontage road but had no way of turning around. And if another vehicle entered the road, emergency vehicles would be blocked in.
Because regular traffic would not be able to use the crossing, the area will likely remain “whistle-free,” meaning trains won’t sound horns, Kramer said.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will reimburse the county for the nearly $46,000 in additional costs associated with the underpass project.
Costs to rebuild an emergency crossing have not been estimated.
Brian Voerding is a reporter for the Winona Daily News.
