HUNTINGTON BEACH : City Gets Good News About Rail Crossings

City Council members learned that they will be able to stretch their money when they begin a program to smooth bumpy railroad crossings.

In September, they authorized spending $180,000 to eliminate bone-rattling passages over three crossings.

But City Engineer Bob Eichblatt told surprised officials last week that costs for the rubberized mats that do the job are surprisingly low and that the original expenditure could cover six crossings, not just three.

The council initially approved spending the money at Southern Pacific Railroad crossings at McFadden, Edinger and Heil avenues. This week, officials added Center Drive and Talbert and Slater avenues to the list.

Eichblatt said that asphalt has been moved and pushed up against the tracks by thousands of cars, creating bumpy conditions that cause wear and tear on vehicles. The rubber material eliminates the asphalt buildup and results in smoother crossings, he said.

The work is expected to start at the first crossing next month. Southern Pacific will be responsible for the construction phase of the project.

The council also agreed to pay $27,000 to Willdan Associates, an Anaheim traffic engineering consultant, to prepare traffic control and detouring plans for each crossing.

When completed, every Southern Pacific rail crossing in the city except one will be rubberized. The exception, at Warner Avenue, was recently paved and doesn’t require additional work, Eichblatt said.