Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin has released the following letter from FDOT dated October 9, 2017:
Dear Mr. Martin,
I am writing on behalf of the Florida Department of Transportation (Department) regarding the opening of the highway-railroad at-grade crossing at Alachua Street in Fernandina Beach. It is the understanding of the Department that the City of Fernandina Beach, First Coast Railroad and the Department have agreed in principle to open the rail crossing at Alachua Street in Fernandina Beach upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. These conditions include, but are not limited to, the acceptance of drawings for the planned crossing by the Department, the City of Fernandina Beach and First Coast Railroad. Upon acceptance of the drawings by all the parties, the Parties shall enter into a formal stipulation to opening the crossing at Alachua Street in Fernandina Beach. The opening of the crossing at Alachua Street will remain subject to the satisfaction of any other applicable regulatory conditions.
Sincerely,
Laura Regalado
Florida Department of Transportation
Martin reported that the city sent to Regalado on June 22, 2017 the Alachua Street engineering and design drawings referenced in the letter. Regalado forwarded those to the Gennessee & Wyoming Railroad (G&W), the parent company of the railroad lines that run along Front Street. G&W will design and engineer the crossing itself.
Martin will be working with the parties to establish a timetable for the project, since one was not specified in the letter.
This will be beneficial to the business district near the proposed crossing by providing an additional traffic flow option from the waterfront to that area as well as affording relief of some traffic utilizing Centre Street to access those businesses currently. Initially the discussion was that this approval would be contingent upon the COFB and G&W closing one of the existing rail crossings along Front Street. The suggested crossing to be closed, at that time, was Front Street at Dade Street. Is this still one of the contingencies for this approval?
No. there will be no requirement that an existing railroad crossing be closed in order to open the Alachua crossing.