Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rail Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Engineers warn Tenafly of high costs, remediation for Mahan rail crossing project
Summary
Brightview told council that converting the Mahan rail crossing will require building a road bed, removing regulated materials from the CSX corridor and obtaining NJDOT 'order' approvals; CSX is not expected to cover remediation costs and staff said DOT participation will outline obligations.
Brightview engineers told the Tenafly council on Feb. 24 that converting the Mahan rail crossing and decommissioning adjacent rail infrastructure will be a complex, potentially costly project because of regulated materials along the rail corridor.
"No matter what, that entire rail line from border to border and tend to fly is you should consider it just contaminated site," Brightview's John told the council, describing required excavation, disposal to regulated sites and the need to build a road bed and remove some rails. He cautioned that those disposal and remediation costs are a major driver of the project's price.
Staff explained the next formal step is a NJDOT diagnostic-team meeting; the DOT would issue an order that lays out the state's expectations and the responsibilities of the borough and CSX. "NJDOT's process...the commissioner of transportation will generate what they call an order," the engineer said, adding that DOT may provide assistance for some crossing-related work but that CSX "won't absorb any of that." Council members discussed no-parking measures near the high school during peak drop-off times to improve two-way passage.
Brightview said town staff can seek authorization and design agreements first; the council was told that approvals do not obligate the borough to immediately fund construction — the borough may delay building if it decides to do so in a later year. Staff also noted applications to NJDOT and potential state and federal grant sources may reduce local costs.
Next steps: staff will pursue the NJDOT diagnostic review, continue CSX negotiations, refine designs and present cost estimates and funding options to the council.
