FORT WORTH, Texas — The Federal Railroad Administration will Tuesday announce plans to build a bridge over railroad tracks on Bonds Ranch Road in northern Fort Worth.
The overpass is expected to cure a rapidly-worsening problem, where traffic backs up on the two-lane road each time a train passes.
On average, about 36 trains run on the tracks each day. Crossing gates at Bonds Ranch Road typically remain closed for four minutes each time a train passes, meaning the intersection is closed to vehicle traffic for more than two hours each day.
"You can't imagine what they go through here on a day-to-day basis," North Fort Worth Alliance president Russell Fuller said. "I've been told that it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get through there."
In the last five years, 23 people have filed blocked crossing reports with the federal government. Of the complainants, 17 alleged delays of 30 minutes to an hour.
Some clearly filed reports while sitting in their cars at the crossing.
"This happens far too often," one person wrote in their report. "I’ve seen a fire truck with lights flashing having to shut down and wait for a slow passing train. This is an area of significant residential property and growth and these delays are not acceptable and dangerous."
Engineers with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) confirmed first responders have been delayed by the passing trains.
The intersection is especially dangerous, too. Crashes happen nearby twice as often as they do on comparable roads, statewide.
"People make bad judgments," Fuller said, describing some illegal maneuvers he's seen drivers use to escape the traffic jam.
A bridge over the crossing is "the absolute best solution," Fuller added.
"It'll become just like any other road we encounter here in Tarrant County," he smiled. "You're not trapped in the traffic anymore. You don't have to worry about being trapped in the traffic."
The Federal Railroad Administration will spend about $17 million to complete the $23 million project. The city of Fort Worth will pay $4 million, and BNSF Railway will cover the remaining $1.5 million.
The new overpass will feature four vehicle lanes, a bike lane and a pedestrian walkway. Construction is expected to end in 2028.
Separate plans to widen the road to four lanes, remove nearby roundabouts, and reconfigure the exit from U.S. Highway 287 are already approved.
Almost 11,000 people live within two miles of the crossing. Nearby neighborhoods are expanding, as Fort Worth's population booms.
"It's really come at a super time," Fuller said. "Maybe by 2028, people will forget this even happened."