Hillsborough mayor urges caution as Norfolk Southern works on four rail crossings

Mayor John Ciccarelli urged drivers to use care at the Auten Road railroad crossing and three other nearby crossings while Norfolk Southern replaces rails and performs related work.

"Yeah, we're pretty unsatisfied with what's going on here. Uh it's a mess," Ciccarelli said, identifying Administrator Ferrara and Township Engineer Tom Bellinger as present. He said Norfolk Southern had placed stone at the crossing but that conditions remained rough.

Ciccarelli said town officials planned and then held a meeting with a Norfolk Southern representative at the crossing that is referred to in the recording as both "Roycebrook" and "Roycefield." "We requested that they maintain and fill in the stone better and also that signs are provided to warn travelers of the bumpy road that they're going to encounter," he said.

The mayor said the replacement work covers four crossings on the town's east side and is scheduled to be completed in November, meaning the town will have to deal with temporary conditions for about a month. "So, in the meantime, please be cautious when you're crossing any of these four railroad crossings here in Hillsborough," he said.

Ciccarelli said the town will issue a cautionary notice advising slower driving through the affected crossings and that Norfolk Southern agreed to provide additional warning signs and better stone infill. The Norfolk Southern representative who met with town officials was not named in the recording.

Township Engineer Tom Bellinger was referenced as taking part in the meeting with the railroad; Administrator Ferrara was identified as present. The mayor did not announce any formal town orders or votes during this update.

The town asked residents to follow posted signs and slow down when approaching the Auten Road crossing and the other three crossings while the railroad project continues.