CHESAPEAKE, Va. — There is only one way in and one way out of the Chesapeake neighborhood of Cedar Grove Acres, and on that same road is a railroad crossing.
But work needs to be done on the tracks, which means the road will be closed for a day in both directions.
Residents are upset and want to know why the company working on the railroad tracks can’t work on one side of the road and leave the other lane open for drivers.
"I just don’t see how we can exist with this closure," said long-time resident Walter Bagby. "People are on dialysis, people who have to go to work, children who have to go to school. In the event of an emergency, they are the things that concern me."
The only road in and out of the neighborhood is scheduled to be closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, January 14.
The roadwork isn't being done on behalf of the City of Chesapeake. A company working on behalf of CSX Transportation is doing routine maintenance and track repairs.
City leaders say they plan to park emergency response vehicles inside the neighborhood during the closure. In a statement, the city said the following:
The safety of our residents is always the City’s number one priority. We realize that the railroad crossing work along S. Military Highway, which is a project of CSX Transportation and their contractor, is going to impact the daily lives of a portion of our community next week and we are doing all we can to not let it impact their safety. Both the Fire and Police departments are implementing plans to maintain emergency response capabilities at all times. Likewise, the Chesapeake Public Schools have a plan to adjust bus drop-offs, ensuring students can safely travel to and from school during the work. Details on these plans, along with potential changes to trash collection and other City services if the need arises, are being communicated via City social media, City and School’s direct contact systems, and in other ways. We understand our community’s concerns over these crossing closures and we as a City are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of this work.
Chesapeake Public Schools said dozens of students are expected to be affected by the closure. A spokesperson said if your child’s bus route is affected, the school will send you a message.
The closure schedules in Chesapeake are as follows:
- Keaton Way (near Keaton Ct.) – Jan. 14, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Sunnybrook Ter. (between Sunkist Rd. and Cedar Grove Cres.) – Jan. 14, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Goodman St. (off of Airline Blvd.) – Jan. 15, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- S. Military Hwy. (between W. Military Hwy. and Ridgeway Ave.) – Jan. 15, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Crossing behind Frank’s Truck Stop (off of W. Military Hwy.) – Jan. 15, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Snowden St. (off of S. Military Hwy.) – Jan. 15, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Businesses should be accessible via Bisco St. during this closure) *No additional infrastructure will be added during this project.
- Bisco St. (between W. Military Hwy. and Sondej Ave.) – Jan. 16, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Businesses should be accessible via Snowden St. during this closure)
- Turn Ln. (off of W. Military Hwy.) – Jan. 16, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Chesapeake isn't the only city to be impacted in the coming days by railroad crossing maintenance. Cities including Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Franklin will also see road closures.