Work began in April 2005 on the Central Railroad Corridor project, a three-year, $105 Million project to elevate the railroad tracks that bisect the heart of Wichita, between William Street and 17th Street. The first months’ work may not have been very visible to many Wichitans because its impact on vehicular traffic has been minimal, and has mostly involved preparation of the base for temporary tracks that will be used during construction of the new tracks, new bridges, overpasses and street crossings.
The final loads of rock ballast arrived and were unloaded Tuesday (November 8). For the next week, crews will use a large machine to tamp the ballast to achieve required compaction and consolidation. The Central and Murdock Street crossings at Santa Fe will be closed between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 12 and the same hours at the 13th Street North crossing on Sunday, November 13 for this process. This will minimize disruption of business traffic during the week. The work may be completed in less time than has been allotted, and the streets will be reopened to traffic as soon as possible. Detour signs and message boards will be located at each work site.
The project schedule calls for Union Pacific railroad trains to shift to the new temporary tracks on November 17, and Burlington Northern -Santa Fe trains on November 23. It is critical that the trains are switched to the temporary tracks before the end of the month because the railroads experience heavy traffic volumes in December, and will not allow the switching to take place until next February. This would impact the completion of the project, scheduled for May of 2008.
Crews will continue to work weekends as weather conditions permit, to keep the project on track.