Residents of West Allis, it's time to adjust your daily commute as the City gears up for a significant change at the 55th Street railroad crossing. Starting in May, according to officials from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the railroad signal equipment on W. Beloit Road will undergo upgrades to meet the current federal standards. This is a direct result of federal funding being pumped into the reconstruction of the street, a move that comes with a set of non-negotiable conditions.
In order to comply with these federal mandates, the City had to decide between installing new signaling equipment at S. 55th Street or closing the crossing altogether. After a thorough evaluation of the costs and options, WisDOT recommended the latter. This decision, as detailed on West Allis' official website, aims to keep construction on schedule in 2023 by reducing design and coordination time and improving safety along the railroad by eliminating conflict points. Furthermore, by axing the crossing, UPRR will shoulder the costs for the removal of items within four feet of the track.
The Federal Highway Administration has specific criteria for the closure of roadway rail crossings, the site explains. The 55th Street crossing ticks all the boxes, with an average annual daily traffic count below 1,000, acceptable alternate access within a mile, and assured that the median trip length won't inflate by more than 2.5 miles. Following a mandatory public hearing in 2023, the City approved the closure.
In May, reconstruction of a 300-foot section at the Beloit Road railroad crossing will result in the permanent removal of the 55th Street crossing. The new signal equipment at Beloit Road cannot support the closely spaced crossings at Beloit Road, 60th Street, 57th Street, and 55th Street. Residents are advised to plan for this change, with alternate crossings available at Mobile Street, 57th Street, Electric Avenue, Beloit Road, and 60th Street.
