Railroad work to smooth Naperville crossing

The railroad crossing on Quincy Avenue in Naperville will be smoother for drivers once crews complete a monthlong project that begins July 1 to remove and replace track, officials said Friday.

Four railroad tracks will be reduced to one where Quincy Avenue crosses a north/south spur of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway in an industrial park west of Ogden Avenue.

Three of the tracks are no longer needed, so they will be removed as part of the $88,000 project, Naperville spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said.

“Right now it’s a very bumpy ride, so it’s going to smooth out the ride,” LaCloche said about the improvements.

Costs for the work will be split between the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the city, with each paying roughly half the total.

Railway crews will remove all four lines of railroad tracks, ties, planks and pavement and then replace one set of tracks. City public works crews then will repave the road and add curbs and sidewalks, aiming to wrap up the project within a month, LaCloche said.

Quincy Avenue will be closed at the tracks to all vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic throughout July, but people still will be able to access businesses along the road.

Other traffic on Quincy will be detoured using Ogden Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and Fort Hill Drive. A detour map is available on the city’s website.