Business Loop 70 Railroad Crossing Removal: A Smarter Transportation Decision for Columbia

The Columbia City Council recently reached an agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to remove the railroad crossing over Business Loop 70 East. This move is necessary due to the deterioration of the crossing, which has led to poor road conditions for drivers. The city will be responsible for maintaining the railroad near its power plant, which has not been used since it stopped using coal as fuel.

According to a council memo, MoDOT will take care of repairing and maintaining the roadway, while the city’s railroad staff will remove the rails, crossing surface, support structures, and hardware. The removal of this crossing is reasonable in light of plans by MoDOT to resurface Business Loop 70 this year. This agreement allows for the city to replace the crossing in the future if needed without additional expenses.

The city does not anticipate using this railroad in the near future but will retain its signs, lights, and markers just in case they may be needed later on. Continuing to maintain this railroad crossing would have been costlier for the city in the long run. A related incident occurred when a driver whose truck was damaged near this railroad crossing estimated damages of over $2,000 in April as reported by ABC 17 News.