NORWOOD, N.J.—A railroad grade crossing on Broadway—which the police chief called in “deplorable condition” in a December letter to CSX Transportation Corp. officials—will be repaired over three days beginning Monday, Jan. 13, Norwood police officials reported in a Facebook post.
An illustrated map with planned street detours was also posted on Facebook to aid motorists, said Norwood Police.
The crossing intersects Broadway at Broad Street, a street which has been closed for two months due to underground utility upgrades by Rockland Electric, a situation that angered over a dozen local shopowners due to lost business and poor communication by utility officials.
Shopkeepers, including Callahan’s owner Daniel DeMiglio, publicly complained to Northern Valley Press in December about the railroad crossing repair coming right after a two-month Broad Street shutdown due to utility electrical upgrades, originally planned to take place during summer.
In addition, more utility upgrade work is planned for Blanch Avenue and Livingston Street soon as part of a two-year, $28 million electric system improvement project that includes installing 3.2 miles of underground electric transmission line from Old Tappan through Norwood to Closter.
Police officials said more information about the upcoming Rockland Electric project interruptions and detours would be announced soon.
After a meeting in May with CSX officials, attended by public officials from multiple towns, CSX officials told attendees that railroad crossings would be fixed during the summer.
However, Police Chief Jeffrey Krapels said despite requests from borough professionals and residents, and a July 1 email from CSX stating the railroad crossing would soon be repaired, no repairs were made.
‘Fall on deaf ears’
“Within the last year, the Norwood DPW, the Borough Engineer, the Borough of Norwood’s Administration, and numerous motorists have contacted CSX with the same complaints, all to fall on deaf ears,” wrote Krapels to Rodney Oglesby, CSX resident vice president for New Jersey, New York CIty and Pennsylvania.
“Norwood Police Officers have seen CSX workers and complained to them personally about the crossings…A CSX Supervisor agreed then [Nov. 17] that the crossing was in dire need of repair and he was so nice to spray a yellow circle on the ground to showcase one of your potholes, within the crossing,” wrote the chief to CSX.
‘Ignored many requests’
Krapels told CSX that residents, motorists and social media “assume that this deplorable road condition is the fault of an uncaring Norwood administration” and noted because CSX had “ignored our many requests for repairing your railroad crossing, this letter will be posted on our Facebook page so that everyone can see how CSX treats the communities that their train[s] pass through,” he wrote.
“If you receive a new car for the holidays and want to keep it in good condition, do yourself a favor, don’t drive over the Broadway tracks,” concluded the chief’s Dec. 20 letter to CSX.
“They jumped on this immediately,” Krapels told Northern Valley Press Jan. 3 after CSX officials read his letter.
He said the department would post updates on its Facebook page for the CSX crossing work and soon-to-come Rockland Electric utility work on Blanch Avenue and Livingston Street.
Police posted on Jan. 6 that Broad Street, estimated to be closed through Jan. 10, was due to open to through traffic that afternoon.
