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Committee asks Canadian National to repair rough Colgate rail-highway crossing
Summary
Washington County's Department of Public Works committee voted to request that Canadian National Railroad repair a damaged rail-highway crossing in the hamlet of Colgate on the Washington'Waukesha county line after staff said repeated outreach produced no firm plan from the railroad.
The Washington County Department of Public Works committee voted to send a resolution asking Canadian National Railroad to repair a deteriorated rail-highway crossing in the hamlet of Colgate, a location on the county line with Waukesha County.
Scott, a county public-works staffer, told the committee that county crews and residents have repeatedly reported a rough crossing on County Highway Q and that county staff have held on-site meetings and made multiple requests to Canadian National with little reply. "We've kind of exhausted our level of effort on this," Scott said, adding that the county's usual next step when a railroad is nonresponsive is to pass a resolution and forward it to the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads for assessment.
Committee members asked about legal exposure, coordination with Waukesha County and whether the county should target multiple crossings at once. One member noted the county maintains the roadway segment at that location and that OCR (the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads) conducts independent assessments when a local body asks for action.
Chair called for a motion; the committee approved the resolution by voice vote. The resolution directs county staff to forward the county's request to the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads and to continue attempts to coordinate repairs with Canadian National.
Why it matters: The crossing lies on a busy county road used by heavy trucks; staff said a persistent bump accelerates pavement damage and can create safety and detour problems. Passing the resolution is a formal step intended to prompt an OCR inspection and, potentially, a repair order to the railroad.
What happens next: County staff will transmit the adopted resolution to the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads and continue coordination efforts with Waukesha County and Canadian National. The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the minutes; approval was taken by voice vote.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 031; topfinish SEG 234
