After Derailment, Council Eyes Permanently Closing West Tuscaloosa Railroad Crossing

After a minor derailment a few weeks ago, city leaders are looking at closing a road in west Tuscaloosa where it crosses over railroad tracks to improve safety and quality of life for those who live nearby.

The stretch of road in question is on 16th Street, where it crosses the Kansas City Southern Railway Company's railroad very near to T.Y. Rogers Jr. Avenue and the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

The road has been temporarily closed since the first week of August, when a train derailed and damaged railroad infrastructure there.

Residents have also complained for years that when trains pass over that road, they are legally required to blow their deafening horns, no matter the hour of the day.

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At a Tuesday meeting of the Tuscaloosa City Council projects committee, a city engineer suggested closing the road permanently. After a brief discussion, the committee recommended doing so, though a final decision must still be considered and voted on by the entire 7-member city council.

The crossing is located in District 1 in West Tuscaloosa, which Councilman Joe Eatmon represents. He told the Thread he supports the idea, though it may inconvenience some locals who drive over the crossing regularly. The benefits of improving safety and silencing those horn blasts could outweigh those qualms, Eatmon said.

"This crossing has been a safety risk for a long time. Closing this particular track will not only increase safety but it will also increase the quality of life for residents in the area," Eatmon told the Thread. "With the crossing being closed, it will be designated a quiet zone, and residents in the area will no longer have to live with the noise of the train horns."

One nearby resident, Stanford Kelly, came to the Tuesday city council meeting to oppose closing the street and asked the council to work with the railroad to reopen it to traffic.

The matter will likely be decided when the council meets again next Tuesday. For coverage of the vote and other news from City Hall, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.