The Flood Protection Authority of Luzerne County has officially asked the state for approval to open up the Edwardsville levee railroad crossing to the public and get rid of the unpopular fencing that disrupts the recreational path on top of the flood-control system.
Christopher Belleman, who is the Executive Director of the Authority, informed county and authority officials by email on Thursday about the application with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, or PUC. The authority is in charge of the Wyoming Valley Levee System along the Susquehanna River.
If the PUC designates it as a public crossing, it can help the authority and railroad find a solution that meets current safety requirements. The Edwardsville crossing qualifies as a public crossing because it goes through a publicly-owned levee that is used by pedestrians and bicyclists, according to the authority.
Norfolk Southern, the owner of the land containing the track, required the fencing as part of an agreement allowing the authority to change the crossing so a gate system could be quickly set up when the Susquehanna rises. This would eliminate the need for nearly 1,600 sandbags, the authority explained.
The authority's application, which has 71 pages with attachments, states that the fencing is not effective.
The authority said, “The pedestrian barrier has proven to be ineffective because vandals regularly cut and damage the fencing to gain access across the tracks.”
The authority's proposed solution involves removing the fencing and installing a “pedestrian low-rise audible/visual warning device with signage.”
Belleman mentioned that this device would light up and sound a warning when a train is approaching.
The authority thinks that the warning device and signs are enough for both public and rail safety and that a crossing arm is not needed.
The estimated cost to remove the existing fencing and install the warning device and signs is $250,000, as per the application. The project's funding would come from a federal or state recreation grant supplemented by authority funds.
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, a spokesperson for the PUC, stated that the state agency’s rail safety engineering staff will assess the authority’s application and the subsequent responses from Norfolk Southern and others affected by the proposed project.
Hagen-Frederiksen said, “The project’s nature, the completeness of the application, and the degree of support or opposition all affect the next steps.”
Belleman anticipates that a site meeting will be arranged as part of the process.
Belleman expressed, “It’s going to take time. We won’t get an end result tomorrow. We’re hoping to get a positive resolution out of this.”
The application notes that walking, running, and bicycling are allowed on top of the levee because the flood control system is in an urban area.
The application mentioned that from 1940 to 2022, for over 80 years, the public has enjoyed recreational access on the ‘levee trail’ as it is locally known. This includes the section with a railroad crossing near the Wilkes University women’s softball field, next to Kirby Park.
They had to count how many people walked there and they found about 8,000 visits to the Kirby Park levee trail from March 1, 2023 to Feb. 29 this year.
Someone damaged the fence earlier this year, so people could go through and continue using the recreational path. People have also been seen going down steep slopes near the fenced area to get to the other side, so they still cross the train tracks in a different place.
Belleman mentioned that they fixed the fence vandalism.
The authority’s application wants to make two other crossings public. One is near the Kingston Public Works facility in Kingston, and the other is at the end of Riverside Drive in Wilkes-Barre where the levee path goes under a railroad bridge.
There are no warnings about trains at these areas, but Belleman said they want to make sure all crossings in the application are thorough.
