Notice the nicely rebuilt Burkhart Street crossing on the Water Avenue rail line.
On this election day in 2024, everybody is going to be interested in how it went and won’t be looking here. So let me report on something slightly less significant.
Last month, the Portland & Western Railroad rebuilt the Burkhart Street crossing on the railroad’s Water Avenue line in Albany’s Willamette Neighborhood.
The neighborhood is on my bike route because I like it. There’s a mix of old houses. The streets are quiet. Lots of big old trees. Nobody gives a second glance to an old guy riding around on a bicycle.
The railroad crossing on Burkhart was bumpy for a long time, and getting more so over the years. Then the PNWR (that’s the standard abbreviation for the Portland & Western) decided to fix it.
The crossing was closed for a couple of days. The next time I came by there, it was new. Asphalt on the outside, concrete panels around and between the rails. Standard fix.
And a pleasure to ride a bicycle across. Although I have not driven across yet, I imagine it’s the same with cars.
There’s something else the railroad accomplished there. It got rid of the gigantic pile of used ties it had stored just north of the crossing over the summer.
To people living across the street, that pile of old wood and creosote must have been an eyesore. But it was temporary and now it is gone. (hh)
So less bump bump rattle rattle for the few of us drive OVER this bit!
Boring!
Nice article, Hasso, and nice result by the railroad, PNWR. I’m in a stunned mood, so very good for me to read this blog.
Amazing that giving the railroad $3 million gives Hasso so much pleasure when he rides his bike over a $50,000 crossing cost.
This was not a crossing the railroad got paid to rebuild or repair.
So what was the reason the $3 million was given to the railroad? Inquiring minds would like to know.
For other crossings, along the west section of the Water Avenue line. This one is way the hell to the east of those.
Per your own commentary, there 12 crossings in total and there were 4 to start with. What did the city get for $3 million?
New crossings. I listed them in one story a long time ago, and I’m not taking the time to look that up. Old news. At least one of them still has to be built.