The Iowa Department of Transportation held a public meeting on Thursday concerning potentially removing and redesigning several rail crossings in Merrill. Three at-grade crossings are part of the proposal in Merrill: at US Highway 75, at Main Street, and at Calhoun Street.
Members of the DOT project team brought several proposed concepts for the crossing on Highway 75 to gather feedback from residents. The three preferred concepts the project team proposed includes: potentially shifting Highway 75 west and building a bridge over the tracks, or building a bridge over the tracks after the rail line is moved south, or shifting Highway 75 east and moving the rail line to the south.
The DOT says the study is seeking to identify ways to improve highway safety and traffic flow in the area, to mitigate a physical barrier posed by the rail corridor in the community, and to eliminate the risk of future highway-rail grade crossing accidents and incidents. The existing line can see up to 10 trains a day, causing traffic on Highway 75 to be backed up and creating safety issues.
More information on the study, as well as project materials that were made available at the meeting, can be found on the DOT’s website at iowadot.gov. Another meeting is planned for this summer, with the final study expected to be released this fall.
