MONROE - Railroad barriers on Wisconsin 69 north of Leisure Lanes could be removed due to safety concerns.
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad filed a petition with the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads to review the costs of tearing out these barrier gates. Jeff Plale, commissioner for the railroad, has been tasked with assessing the costs of removing the barriers.
"Everything is really embryonic at this point," he said.
Plale said the railroad has had informal discussions with him concerning this issue, but due to the unusually harsh winter the railroad has decided to take the issue more seriously.
In Madison, one barrier in particular near a hospital has been gummed up by road salt and snow to where it gets stuck. Plale said a police officer tried to lift up the bar, but it was too heavy to safely lift. Thankfully, the Monroe barrier has not been as troublesome, but it will be considered in this assessment.
A regular gate, made of fiberglass and easier to move, would typically cost around $1,000 to $2,000 to replace, which is what Plale said it would likely run to remove these barriers.
The crossings were originally put in about 15 years ago in an experimental attempt to make these crossings safer. There are only six barriers like these in the nation and four of them are located in Wisconsin, the other two are in California.
Plale said the barriers are designed for warm weather areas. The barriers pose safety concerns as well. If a car gets stuck between traditional gates they can drive through them because they break easier. The barriers in place now are too heavy to lift and do not break easily.
"I can't speak for my predecessors," Plale said. "But I don't know what the thought process was in putting these things in at all."
Monroe police chief Fred Kelley said he is opposed to having these barriers removed.
"While we are not a big, huge community, we would like to be a safe one," he said.
Kelley said the barriers have stopped motorists from crossing, which is the intended purpose.
"The rumor is it will stop a semi-truck, but I think it's more like a pickup truck going 30 miles per hour, which is still pretty strong," he said.
Kelley said the barriers were not something the city lobbied for; the ethanol plant had them put in.
"Now that they're here, why should we have to give them up?" he asked.
Plale said they will not look into assessing costs until spring and the more troublesome gates in Madison will come first.
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad filed a petition with the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads to review the costs of tearing out these barrier gates. Jeff Plale, commissioner for the railroad, has been tasked with assessing the costs of removing the barriers.
"Everything is really embryonic at this point," he said.
Plale said the railroad has had informal discussions with him concerning this issue, but due to the unusually harsh winter the railroad has decided to take the issue more seriously.
In Madison, one barrier in particular near a hospital has been gummed up by road salt and snow to where it gets stuck. Plale said a police officer tried to lift up the bar, but it was too heavy to safely lift. Thankfully, the Monroe barrier has not been as troublesome, but it will be considered in this assessment.
A regular gate, made of fiberglass and easier to move, would typically cost around $1,000 to $2,000 to replace, which is what Plale said it would likely run to remove these barriers.
The crossings were originally put in about 15 years ago in an experimental attempt to make these crossings safer. There are only six barriers like these in the nation and four of them are located in Wisconsin, the other two are in California.
Plale said the barriers are designed for warm weather areas. The barriers pose safety concerns as well. If a car gets stuck between traditional gates they can drive through them because they break easier. The barriers in place now are too heavy to lift and do not break easily.
"I can't speak for my predecessors," Plale said. "But I don't know what the thought process was in putting these things in at all."
Monroe police chief Fred Kelley said he is opposed to having these barriers removed.
"While we are not a big, huge community, we would like to be a safe one," he said.
Kelley said the barriers have stopped motorists from crossing, which is the intended purpose.
"The rumor is it will stop a semi-truck, but I think it's more like a pickup truck going 30 miles per hour, which is still pretty strong," he said.
Kelley said the barriers were not something the city lobbied for; the ethanol plant had them put in.
"Now that they're here, why should we have to give them up?" he asked.
Plale said they will not look into assessing costs until spring and the more troublesome gates in Madison will come first.