OLDS — A temporary repair is planned for this Thursday to at least lessen the big bump as vehicles go over the railway tracks at Highway 27 and 50th Avenue.
Town operations director Scott Chant made the announcement during council’s April 12 meeting.
Several councillors complained that vehicles were going “airborne” there as a result of repairs undertaken on the tracks last week.
“I would call it the Thelma and Louise drop or the Dukes of Hazzard ramp,” Coun. Mitch Thomson said.
Chant said the problem is that as a result of those repairs, the railway tracks are now eight inches higher than the surrounding pavement.
Chant said the work was done because wires under the rails were no longer activating lights or crossing arms when trains came along.
“So huge safety issues coming through town when the barriers don’t come down along Highway 27,” he said.
Chant said the next day after that work was completed, town staff were on the phone to various entities to have the track height problem fixed.
Calls were made to representatives of Alberta Transportation, Volker Stevin which maintains the highway, and CP Rail which had undertaken the repairs.
Chant said an agreement has been reached that a temporary repair will be undertaken on April 15 and a more permanent repair will be done in about a year.
Signs were placed to warn drivers about the upcoming “bump” but some councillors said more or bigger signs might be needed.
Mayor Mike Muzychka said he’ll wait and see how suitable the temporary fix is before deciding whether to take his case to Transportation Minister Ric McIver or others to have a better job done.
