By Patty Montagno

Staff Writer

[email protected]

The city contractor has started on street improvements to 3rd Street and Ben Davis Road related to the Sachse Railroad Quiet Zone announced City Engineer Greg Peters.

The intersection will be closed at the railroad crossing while construction is completed. A detour route to 5th Street will be implemented. The roads may be closed up to 90 days and detour routes will be posted.

“The Sachse City Council and staff understand that the quiet zone project is extremely important for the quality of life of our citizens,” he said. “Council approved a Capital Improvement Project for the establishment of a quiet zone in early 2013.  Funding from the project includes a partnership between the City of Sachse, the Sachse Economic Development Corporation, and Western Rim Properties, the developer of the Mansions multi-family project.”

Following council approval of the project, the city had been working with a planning consultant, the Federal Railroad Administration, and Kansas City Southern Railroad to implement a quiet zone in the city.

“We are currently situated between two existing quiet zones in our neighboring cities,” he said. “To the south, Garland has a quiet zone that includes Murphy Road.  To the north, the Wylie has a quiet zone in the Wylie City limits.”

Peters said the city submitted a request to the FRA to establish a quiet zone 2013.  City staff worked with the FRA throughout their review process, and received approval from the FRA in 2015.

The city is now implementing the quiet zone approved by the FRA, which will form a continuous quiet zone from Garland to Wylie.  The limits of the quiet zone in Sachse are from Murphy Road to the north City limits, which will include the following street crossings at Ben Davis Road; 3^rd Street; 5^th Street;      Park Lane; Ranch Road and Woodbridge Parkway.

“The FRA has a scoring system that defines the minimum street requirements for a quiet zone,” he said. “  In order to meet and exceed the minimum requirements, the city is improving the street crossings at Ben Davis, 3^rd Street, and Park Lane.”

Peters said the Sachse Engineering Department has completed the engineering design on the project.

“The project was advertised for bid in February of this year, and was awarded to XIT Paving & Construction, Inc. in April,” he said. “  The contractor completed the right-of-way permit process for KCS Railroad in April through June, and received approval on July 1.”

Peters said the contractor will be mobilizing to begin construction shortly pending weather.

“During construction, both Ben Davis Road and 3^rd Street will be closed to traffic at the railroad crossings,” he said. “Due to Park Lane being the only entry point for the Sachse Industrial Park, the contractor will complete the Park Lane improvements while keeping the street open to traffic.  A traffic control plan is being implemented to direct traffic from Ben Davis and 3^rd Street to 5^th Street during this time.  Once the improvements are complete, the city will issue a letter to Kansas City Southern Railroad, requesting that the train horns are turned off.  The railroad will have 21 days to turn the horns off, following the issuance of the letter.”