The City of Crawfordsville is filing a lawsuit against CSX and the Indiana Department of Transportation seeking to delay the closure of the East Market Street railroad crossing for maintenance until traffic can be diverted from the area, Mayor Todd Barton announced Thursday.
Last week, the city learned that CSX plans to close the busy crossing by the end of the month, even as work continues on rebuilding a section of East Wabash Avenue drivers use to detour around trains. The closure would cut off most east-west thoroughfares in the city.
Citing concerns about traffic flow and public safety, the city will ask for an emergency order barring the rail company from closing the crossing until construction is finished on East Wabash, which is now expected to reopen in mid-August.
The suit is expected to be filed today in a Montgomery County court.
“We regret that legal action is necessary but we have exhausted all other means and must take every step possible to ensure public safety,” Barton said in a news release.
In discussions with CSX, Barton said the city “repeatedly requested” that crews wait until Aug. 15 to allow for East Wabash to reopen. The road was closed from Mill to Oak streets in late June for a project that was scheduled to last four weeks.
“To date, we have been unsuccessful in our discussions and CSX has not been willing to alter their plans to accommodate our public safety concerns,” Barton said.
More than 13,000 vehicles travel daily on East Market, which carries traffic for U.S. 136, State Road 32 and State Road 47.
Closing the road would leave just two-east thoroughfares for rerouting drivers: Main Street, a residential area with limited capacity for extra traffic, and Elmore Street, a less convenient route where trains frequently block another crossing.
CSX did not return a message seeking a response to the planned lawsuit. INDOT does not comment on pending legal action, but a spokesman said the agency continues working with the city and CSX “to try to delay the rail crossing closure.”
