The City of Crystal, Minnesota hired SRF to complete a quiet zone feasibility study at two adjacent crossings on the Canadian Pacific railroad line within the city: Broadway Avenue and Douglas Drive. Implementation of typical quiet zone improvements such as non-traversable medians was made difficult by the many driveway and public roadway located nearby. It was particularly important that access to 51st Place (a roadway connecting Broadway Avenue and Douglas Drive and parallel to the railroad tracks) be maintained in order to facilitate movement of emergency vehicles. Since each of the crossings is under the jurisdiction of Hennepin County, extensive coordination with the County was required to ensure that the proposed quiet zone safety improvements satisfied both the County’s needs as well as the FRA requirements for quiet zone improvements.
SRF created planning-level design layouts and construction cost estimates for multiple improvement options for review by the City and County. The final recommended crossing improvements were then refined and further reviewed to ensure appropriate turning geometry for larger vehicles such as school buses and fire trucks. SRF is currently in the process of completing final design of the proposed improvements and submitting quiet zone implementation documentation to the FRA for an anticipated implementation in the Summer of 2017.
