By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— Representatives from CSX Transportation held a public input meeting March 30 in Pelham to inform residents about a proposed project that would improve the flow of rail traffic in Pelham and Helena.

The project would construct a connection track at the existing crossing at Lee Street in Pelham, which would create an 8-mile loop for CSX to route trains along. This project also entails building an about 500-foot diagonal bridge over Buck Creek in an undeveloped area in Helena.

“We get a lot of complaints about the crossing being blocked here (on Lee Street), so we are very hopeful that this addresses this for the folks, not only here in Pelham, but in surrounding towns,” said Jane Covington, resident vice president with CSX.

The project would give CSX many additional options as far as routing trains, Covington said. It would prevent trains from having to stop on the tracks to wait for another train to pass.

Project manager Nathan Ortega and design engineer Chase Browning, said they are looking to take on the Lee Street part of the project first. Currently, Browning said they are doing the initial legwork, such as getting the permits in order and working with the city.

Until the city officially approves the project and they get all the permits worked out, Browning said they aren’t sure how long the construction phase will last. Covington added that the work at Lee Street could result is some temporary closures, but they plan on completing the work as quickly as possible.

“We definitely understand that Lee Street is a fairly major thoroughfare, and the mayor (Gary Waters) has expressed that,” Covington said. “We are going to do everything we can to make that window as tight as it can be.”

Both cities have positive outlooks on the project, she said. While they have expressed some concerns over certain pieces of it, Covington said they have all worked collectively to find solutions that work for everybody.

Overall, she said the positives of the project seem to outweigh the temporary inconvenience of construction.

‘The biggest positive is that it is going to make rail traffic flow so much more fluidly through this area,” Covington said. “That helps CSX, and it certainly helps the residents as well.”