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DOTD letter: Caroline Street closure, track raise and signals expected to start Q1 2025; council thanks longtime advocate
Summary
DOTD’s Highway‑Rail Unit provided a written update that said BNSF and DOTD anticipate utility coordination to finish before a Q1 2025 start on track‑raising and signal installation tied to Providence Street and Caroline Street crossings, with work targeted for completion by summer 2025.
DOTD’s Highway‑Rail Unit sent a written update to the council describing progress on a multi‑crossing safety project that affects downtown crossings, including Caroline Street and Providence Street.
In the letter read at the meeting, DOTD’s project manager said BNSF and the contractor are coordinating with utilities to identify and resolve conflicts. Once utility coordination is complete, the letter said, the contractor will begin raising track and adjusting roadway approaches; DOTD anticipates the Providence Street crossing will be closed when that work begins in Q1 2025. If major issues do not arise, DOTD wrote, the work could be complete by the end of summer (Q3) 2025. The letter also said DOTD is coordinating reimbursement to BNSF for roadway removal and barricade installation.
Local context and long‑running effort
Several council members and community speakers credited long‑time councilman David Broussard for sustained advocacy on railroad crossings and for securing funding across multiple administrations. Broussard told the council he had worked on crossings since 2003 and praised the intergovernmental coordination that led to arms and lights at multiple locations. Other council members offered motions of thanks and suggested local commemorations for Broussard’s years of work on rail‑safety projects.
DOTD timeline and scope from the letter (as read to council)
- Utilities coordination underway; BNSF ordering materials and coordinating conflict resolution. - Signal material ordered; signal installation anticipated to start in Q1 2025. - Track raise and roadway approach adjustments to follow utility coordination; Providence Street crossing closure expected during track work. - Targeted completion by mid to late summer 2025, subject to contingency for utility or supply delays.
Why it matters
Council members framed the project as a safety improvement that had been pursued for two decades. The project will add signalized crossings and roadway adjustments intended to reduce collisions and horn noise adjacent to crossings once arms and lights are installed and crossings reconfigured.
Next steps
DOTD contact information was provided for further questions; council staff and Broussard said they will continue local coordination and update residents as closures and detours are scheduled.
