Marion residents get rundown on proposed overpass

Marion residents get rundown on proposed overpass

Project managers offers infor at public meeting

news@theeveningtimes.com

The proposed route for a railroad overpass project over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks that would connect Hwy. 77 to Military Road received mixed reviews at a public meeting.

Engineers from Parsons presented the updated plans and were on hand to answer questions and take comments from concerned residents during an open house at Marion First Baptist Church.

Robert McIvor, project manager, said engineers looked at 30 possible locations for the overpass back in a 2006 study and after public comment in 2014 narrowed it down to three.

The proposed route they have selected runs behind the new Walmart Neighborhood Grocery along the L.H. Polk extension and calls for an overpass over the tracks and about 3,580 feet of new roadway to Military Road.

“What we are proposing to do is build two lanes with a four lane bridge and obtain enough right of way so that if the city wants to go four lanes we already have enough right of way to do that,” McIvor said.

McIvor said although there are other alternatives, the route behind Walmart works best because it allows for the least steep grade for the overpass.

The route will also cost about a million dollars less to build.

“This area was identified and we looked at what we could do to make it work to get our grades over the tracks and reduce the width and keep the costs down,” McIvor said.

(Map on Page 10)

Photo by Mark Randall The proposed overpass is expected to cost about $10.5 million.

The BNSF tracks split Marion roughly in half and result in numerous delays. About 30 trains a day pass over the tracks and produce traffic snarls.

There has been a substantial amount of residential growth on the east side of the tracks and conditions are expected to worsen as the city continues to grow.

McIvor said the route will solve the problem of trains blocking the railroad crossings for residents who live on the east side of Marion.

“We timed it,” McIvor said.

“It takes about 15 minutes to clear traffic out — seven minutes for the train to pass and another seven for the traffic to clear.”

The overpass will also alleviate public safety concerns by improving emergency response times and providing a safer route for school busses by providing them with a route that will not require them to stop each time the cross the railroad tracks.

“The police and fire and ambulances and school busses will now have a route where they won’t be obstructed,” McIvor said.

But for one Marion resident, the proposed route would put the railroad overpass right in his back yard.

“It’s going to be right on top of us,” said John Heath, who lives at 315 Rita Road. “I’ve lived here 33 years without problems. I never anticipated something like this would end up in my back yard.”

Heath said a railroad overpass in that location will kill the value of his property by 40 to 65 percent.

“It is going to do significant damage to the value of my property,” Health said. “I asked them. How many of you would want to live there? Nobody raised their hand. Who would want to live in this house?”

Teresa Campbell, who lives at 99 Rita Road, said she is concerned about the noise that the overpass will bring.

“I won’t be able to see it so much as I will be able to hear it during construction and the 24 hours a day that the road is open,” Campbell said. “I’m not asking for a wall like they have on I-240. But I am hoping there will be something for the noise and the traffic.”

Campbell said she believes there are better options than the one they have settled on.

“I don’t like it,” Campbell said. “I think they have other choices. I wish I had gotten in on the conversation earlier. I might have been able to influence someone.” Jeanie Marks also is against the overpass.

“No. No. No,” Marks said.

“But they will do what they want to anyway.”

Funding for the overpass will be dependent on voters agreeing to extend an existing one cent tax which will generate $16 million for a new round of capital improvements. Of that $16 million, $12 million will be for street improvements, including the overpass. Wayne Nelson, who lives on Big Lake Road on the east side of Marion, said he is in favor of the proposed route.

“I’m for it,” Nelson said. “I live on that side of town so obviously I will benefit fron it. I just want a bridge so we can get across.”

Opinion was also divided among certain city officials.

City Councilman Kelly O’Neal said while he is absolutely in favor of the need to build a bypass, he isn’t a fan of the route engineers have selected.

“I’m for an overpass,” O’Neal said. “It’s something we need to do. But I don’t like where it is. I think there are better options.”

Councilman Bryan Jackson, whose ward encompasses much of the east side of Marion, said he is okay with the proposed route.

“I like it,” Jackson said.

“This project has been a work in progress for a long time. It was good to see so many people interested and anxious and optimistic about the potential design and construction this overpass will have for so many of our citizens. I think it will be a great day for our city when this gets funded.”

But for residents like Heath who will be directly impacted, it’s not a done deal just yet.

If he has to, Heath said he will take the city to court to force them to buy his property or choose another route.

“I told them buy me out and I will move,” Heath said. “Then you do what you want to. But I’m not going to sit back and let them destroy the value of my property. It’s just poor planning on their part. I don’t know why they are so set in stone on this one. They are just trying to cram it down our throats. There are a ton of other options. To me, I would look at options that would be the least damaging to anyone.”

McIver said the public will have 15 days to send in comments about the proposed route. Engineers will summarize the comments, respond to them, and submit a final report back to the Arkansas Highway Department.

“We could possibly have something finished and submitted to the state in another two months,” McIver said.

“And we’re estimating that from now until the time we are ready to take bids will be sometime between 18 to 22 months.”

The bond election will be held on March 14 in Marion.

By Mark Randall