The dates for the permanent railway replacement on Texas 35 near McDonald’s have been confirmed.
The replacement will begin at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, and is scheduled to end by 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 19.
“This schedule works better for Bay City citizens and the traveling public because it will take place over a weekend,” said Bay City Mayor Robert Nelson.
“Remember this closure is planned for the railway crossing on Texas 35 between Avenue H and Avenue K – also known as
the crossing closest to McDonald’s,” saidEmergency Management Public Information Officer Mitch Thames.
Due to supply chain issues, the contractor’s timeline for the original timeline had to be changed.
The different organizations have worked through the permitting process and have been notified of the confirmed dates, Thames said.
BNSF continues to work with Bay City to keep everyone safe, he added.
“As a company committed to the safety of our employees and the community, BNSF regularly evaluates the condition of rail crossings,” said Kendall Kirkham Sloan, director of external communications.
“We make repairs where needed and, in some cases, full replacements are scheduled as part of planned maintenance projects.
“We are grateful for the positive partnership between BNSF, TXDOT, and the city of Bay City and we will be working with them to coordinate and carry out this project in the coming weeks,” Sloan said.
The safety committee is working with BNSF, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and the City of Bay City, Thames noted.
The new dates, the committee reports, will not charge the detour routes, Thames said.
The planned detour routes are for both light traffic and the bigger, heavy haul trucks.
For local vehicle traffic, it is suggested that residents plan on using a city street north or south of the crossing – like 8th Street to the north streets and 5th and 6th streets to the south.
Residents could choose a further detour around, using other routes, like Golden Ave, 12th Street, or Marguerite Street.
The 18-wheelers and heavy haul trucks will be required to stay on state highways and farm to market roads due to the weight limits on city streets.
The suggested route for those trucks is to go south on Texas 60 to FM 2668, then east on FM 2668 back into town, and then return to Texas 35.
This route will be for east- and west-bound traffic.
Those unfamiliar with the local city streets are suggested to also take the expanded detour.
“Our team has representation from all law enforcement agencies - our city and county leadership teams and industrial partners continue to meet and discuss expectations to reduce the impact of this closure,” according to the Matagorda County Emergency Operation Center press release.
“Signage on SH 35 will be in place for at least seven days to make sure the public is aware of this situation.”
“We understand the hardship this 3-day closure will cause our community,” said Bay City Police Chief Christella Rodriguez.
The replacement will affect the local traffic, heavy haul trucks, and the traveling public.
“We continue to communicate the closure to all industrial partners and local businesses that have schedules to receive products by heavy trucks around the rail crossing,” reads the release.
“We will place route information in the area gas stations and truck stops to communicate the closure, this will result in the trucks having the option of re-routing around the detour.”
“Communicating with our local industry is very important so they can re-route their trucks to avoid the delays. Our plan calls for constant communication between the trucking industry and the City of Bay City,” said Matagorda County Emergency Management Coordinator Amanda Campos.
Thames said the community will benefit from the rail crossing being replaced; the time has come for serious action to prevent damage to vehicles.
“The traffic counts have increased through town, which causes wear and tear on the roads and the rail crossings,” the mayor said.
“The team believes this is the right time to take these actions because the traffic counts will continue to increase, the time is now to replace this crossing. Using this team approach will make a difficult situation a little better.”
“We ask the driving public to pack your patience during these traffic delays, and communicate with your friends and neighbors,” the press release adds.
“The replacement of this crossing is a top priority and will benefit everyone.”
