Board approves 12‑month temporary easement for Norfolk Southern access near Dedmon facility

The Board of Visitors approved a temporary, 12‑month construction easement requested by Norfolk Southern to allow access along the roadway by the Dedmon facility and the route toward the tennis courts.

Vice President Hoover described the request as a temporary easement, at no cost to Radford University, to allow Norfolk Southern to access the university’s adjacent roadway for a rail layover related to a new Christiansburg stop. “They are requesting an easement that would allow them to access our road along Dedmon and then leading up to the tennis courts… This would be a temporary easement for 12 months, no cost to us,” Vice President Hoover said.

The administration said Norfolk Southern agreed to compensate the university for any roadway damages. The easement packet and diagram were provided in meeting materials.

A motion to approve the temporary easement was moved and seconded; the board chair called for hands in favor and the motion passed with no recorded opposition on the public roll call. Before the vote, a board member disclosed that they serve on the New River Valley Passenger Rail Authority representing Pulaski County and stated they did not believe a conflict existed.

Why it matters: the easement enables railroad access associated with regional passenger service and a layover site adjacent to campus. The administration told trustees it does not expect danger to students from the access and that the easement is temporary.

Ending: Trustees approved the resolution and asked that any minor damages be addressed by Norfolk Southern through the agreement’s compensation provisions.