by Dennis Dalman
editorial@thenewsleaders.com
People who live just north of Sartell on Benton Drive might have to put up with loud, blaring train horns a bit longer than they anticipated.
The train crossing in question is at CR 55 just north of the former Verso paper mill and just north of the city limits. Residents in that area and officials decided some time ago the crossing should be a “Quiet Zone,” one at which the train horns are not set off when trains are barreling through.
After meeting with railroad officials, it was agreed to make it a quiet-zone crossing but only if road work and other safeguards were installed first. Residents then raised $5,000 to pay for the work, along with $42,500 contributed by the city of Sartell and $15,000 donated by Sauk Rapids Township.
That was enough to cover the cost of the engineering plan and the road-and-crossing work. That work was delayed, however, because of the onset of winter.
Chris Berg of the Benton County Engineering Department gave the Sartell City Council an update at its last meeting. Currently, officials are waiting to see if a third track at that crossing needs an electronic constant-warning signal installed.
The other two tracks there already have such systems installed. The warning system alerts a coming train if there is a vehicle or some other problem on the track-road intersection so it can hopefully stop in time to avoid a disaster.
If the Federal Railroad Authority requires that third-rail warning system, it would cost about $93,000 to install, costs that would have to be borne locally.
The question, Berg said, is does the city want to get the road work done at that intersection now or does it want to wait for an FRA decision about whether a warning system will have to be installed?
The council expressed a consensus about preferring to wait.
Council member Steve Hennes said that crossing is not even within the Sartell city limits and Sartell has been generous enough by committing $42,500 for the quiet zone.
Others on the council also thought it best to wait until the FRA makes a decision.
“The risk (of waiting) is less risky than the $93,000 question mark,” said Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll.