The track in front of Monteith Riverpark was torn up for reconstruction of the crossing Saturday afternoon.
My usual riverfront bike route goes past Albany’s Monteith Riverpark, where a contractor for the Portland & Western Railroad now is rebuilding the crossing at the entrance to the park.
“Rebuilding the crossing.” The phrase does not begin to capture the size of the job.
The railroad’s contractor, Stacy and Witbeck out of Portland, has been working on the rails along Water Avenue since early March. On Friday the crew started on the crossing in front of the park,
On Saturday afternoon I stopped for a few minutes to take a look. A long section of rails and ties had been taken up and moved down the track. A trench 3 or 4 feet deep had been dug where the roadbed used to be. To help with the excavation, an excavator was lifted up and slowly lowered into the trench.
A new section of track was stored nearby, along with concrete crossing panels, ready to be placed once the railbed is restored.
The riverpark entrance is one of 10 railroad crossings along Water Avenue that are being improved, moved or closed as part of the $21.5 million Albany Waterfront Project sponsored by CARA, the downtown urban renewal district.
CARA is paying the Portland & Western Railroad $3.4 million for the crossing improvements.
The price tag raised some eyebrows when the city council, as the Albany Revitalization Agency, approved it in November 2023. But when you see all the work involved — including rebuilding about a mile of track — it makes sense.
At the park entrance, the new crossing should be complete in a day or two. The City of Albany said nearby streets — one block each of Washington Street and Water Avenue — would remain closed through Tuesday night. (hh)
I parked my bike away from the action at the riverpark crossing Saturday.
A crane was employed to lower an excavator into the trench where the track had been.
One man newspaper. Reporter, photographer, editor , publisher and the delivery boy.
Thanks Hasso.
I live next to the Ankeny Refuge and there have been 3 derailments in the past 12 years so Albany is now paying for all the deferred maintenance by the P&W and the previous railroad owner for the past 50 years on that 1 or 2 mile stretch. As the train only goes about 5 MPH going through the Talbot area, I can only imagine how many millions they have in deferred maintenance on the rest of the line. Thanks for being such a sucker Albany.
errr THANKS for sucking so much Al?!?!?
breathe heavy on forward. wink