Work on Railroad Quiet Zones Could Begin Soon

The Sussex Village Board this week approved bids and hired a contractor for to create “quiet zones” at four railroad crossings.

“It’s an issue we’ve been discussing for a couple of years,” said Village Trustee Steve Berger. “We approved approximately $60,000, but I hope will be a lot less.” 

A quiet zone is a railroad crossing at which trains are prohibited from sounding their horns in order to decrease the noise level for nearby residents.

“I know some of the trustees were interested in the subject,” said Village Administrator Jeremy Smith. “There have been certain members of the community who have expressed concern, but I wouldn’t say there’s been a public outcry. Neighboring communities have done this kind of thing.”

Work will be done at crossings at Silver Spring Drive, Plainview Road, Highway 74 and Good Hope Road.

“The money is coming from a surplus in the 2010 budget,” Smith said. “We figure we’ll spend $35,000 towards the improvement work and $20,00 for median work at Silver Spring and the rest for contingency planning.”

Four railroad crossings in Sussex each will require differing levels of safety improvements at two levels of cost, if a roughly two-mile stretch of Canadian National Railway track through the village is to qualify for designation as a quiet zone.

Smith said the goal is to have the quiet zone in operation by the end of the year and improvements made by early summer. Smith clarified the quiet zones don’t necessarily make crossings safer. “It’s more about train horns and quality of life," he said.

He said there are enough homes along the path of the tracks and adjacent homes to justify this project. 

“The biggest thing from my point of view is following all the requirements of all the entities involved,” said Eric Nitschke, village engineer and director of public works. 

According to Nitschke, crews could break ground on the project before summer.

“We have accepted a bid from Advanced Construction out of Green Bay,” he said.

The changes must meet federal standards and are intended to make it virtually impossible for drivers to maneuver their vehicles around crossing barrier arms. Plans for the crossing upgrades must be approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Nitschke said the more entities involved the more difficult things can be to complete.

“Everyone has their standards,” Nitschke said. “The FRA has their standards, we’re dealing with state and county issues. WisDOT is also a participant, so we have to adhere to their requirements.”

For the most part, Nitschke said things are relatively straightforward with this project.  “Our Village Board has spoken to the aesthetic and quality of life issues associated with this project,” he said.