Jan. 6, 2017 – Allenton, WI – Repair crews are on site again, for the second time this week at the Canadian National Railroad crossing on Highway 33 in Allenton. The issue is the same one that’s been hindering the crossing the past year and that’s the approach to the railroad tracks is unsafe and could cause damage to vehicles.
According to former Washington County Supervisor Ron Naab the product that’s put down around the rails doesn’t hold and creates a divot on either side of the track. “They use a rubber composite for the road bed instead of wood ties but the bolts used to lag them down don’t hold and the studs come up and stick up 3 to 4 inches,” said Naab.
Crews from the Washington County Highway Department were on hand Friday to fix it again.
“I understand there’s a lot of truck traffic but how can they not figure out how to make this right,” he said.
Washington County Highway Commissioner Scott Schmidt said the problem multifaceted.
“It’s a combination of the cold weather, the composite material, the bolts used and the lumber around it being old as well as being located in a swampy area,” said Schmidt.
A more substantial fix will be attempted next week. The road will be shut down Tuesday, Jan. 10Â from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. as another repair is completed.
Naab said the “middle lanes of traffic” are where the biggest problems occur. “Last Sunday they had to put a squad down there,” he said. “The two center lanes are the problem. That’s the worst.”