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Crossing restoration to start this spring

Crossing restoration to start this spring
Posted on 02/07/2020
Draft drawing of River Heritage Park railroad crossing

Work to restore crossings at Marquette, Gaines, Ripley, Harrison, Main streets, Perry Street/Pershing Avenue and River Heritage Park is to begin this spring.

The work is expected to take the entire summer but will be done one crossing at a time.

Last year, Canadian Pacific raised its riverfront tracks from half a foot to as much as three feet through the downtown. A City task force comprised of four aldermen and four members of the Riverfront Improvement Commission have been meeting regularly to review crossing plans as updates became available.

The railroad will also raise the bike path from the LeClaire Park band shell to Pershing Avenue.


“We asked CP to raise the entire bike path instead of just the portions at the crossings themselves. We did not want bike path users to experience ‘up/down’ with each crossing,” Public Works Director Nicole Gleason said.

Mayor Frank Klipsch thanked the task force for its service in a letter in December also noting the need for the bike path to be raised.

The task force met Thursday and learned designs are nearing completion. Canadian Pacific is expected to put the combined project out to bid in the next few weeks with the hopes that work can commence right away this spring.

River Heritage Park's crossing will have right turn in and right turn out lanes and space to accommodate buses maneuvering to pick up passengers on river cruise boats from American River Cruises starting later this summer and Viking Cruise Line in the future.

The crossing at Main Street is pedestrian only.