Fulton St Crossing removal

[wyrickj]

Just a heads up regarding the old NYC / CR crossing on Fulton St in GR that its being removed starting on the 9th.


According to the city of Grand Rapids FB page:

The removal of an abandoned railroad crossing on Fulton Street will close Fulton between Seward and Winter from Sunday evening, Aug. 9 to Thursday morning, Aug. 13.

Detour routes will be posted in the area, but City officials recommend motorists on EB Fulton use Seward to Lake Michigan to Mt Vernon; and WB Fulton drivers use Winter to Lake Michigan to Seward.

According to Chris Zull, traffic safety manager, MDOT scheduled the Grand Elk railroad crossing removals and Fulton/M-45 road restoration project at this time in order to complete the work before school starts back up and in advance of the Art Prize event in Grand Rapids.

[Saturnalia]

Well obviously the crossing has been pulled now, but that's just the beginning. The plan is to remove the rest of the GDLK Joe Brown trackage north of Butterworth, including the Butterowrth crossing. In place of it, there will be a new switch added to the CSX enterance which runs over to the GDLK spur. This will greatly clean up that area, allowing the removal of a power switch and signal (and in the future, the rest of Watson St Control Point probably). The City is also planning on reworking the roads in the area.

Removals include:
Front St from Butterworth to Watson
Watson St from Winter to Front
Mt Vernon from Watson to Fulton

And the extension of Winter parallel to the tracks between Watson and Butterworth.

Probably the biggest changes along the West Side since the 1980s consolidation.

Additionally, the city is working on plans to completely reconstruct Godfrey Ave from the utilities up...FINALLY!!

[MiddleMI]

Well obviously the crossing has been pulled now, but that's just the beginning. The plan is to remove the rest of the GDLK Joe Brown trackage north of Butterworth, including the Butterowrth crossing. In place of it, there will be a new switch added to the CSX enterance which runs over to the GDLK spur. This will greatly clean up that area, allowing the removal of a power switch and signal (and in the future, the rest of Watson St Control Point probably). The City is also planning on reworking the roads in the area.

Removals include:
Front St from Butterworth to Watson
Watson St from Winter to Front
Mt Vernon from Watson to Fulton

And the extension of Winter parallel to the tracks between Watson and Butterworth.

Probably the biggest changes along the West Side since the 1980s consolidation.

Additionally, the city is working on plans to completely reconstruct Godfrey Ave from the utilities up...FINALLY!!

What's the reasoning around the street removal? On it's face, it looks like it will open quite a bit of land for development. What it also appears it will do strand a old warehouse (which looks to be in use) at the river right up against the S-curve. Actually, it looks like maybe you'll be able to access it from Fulton on the other side of the curve, but it would be through a parking lot and driveway to get back of what will be left of Front in that area. I'm not getting why they are breaking apart Front.

[Saturnalia]

Apparently, you looked at dated maps. The old warehouse was replaced by a shining new GVSU building. GVSU literally owns all the land in the area outside of the streets. While the streets will be removed, I'm sure to some extent they will be retained as private terminus roads for the campus. Extending Winter and killing Front will make traffic more direct and streamlined through the area, and allow GVSU more expansion options.

I just wish GVSU would leave at least some small lot for local parking. There is a crapton of GVSU stuff, but it all requires a student pass.

[MiddleMI]

Apparently, you looked at dated maps. The old warehouse was replaced by a shining new GVSU building. GVSU literally owns all the land in the area outside of the streets. While the streets will be removed, I'm sure to some extent they will be retained as private terminus roads for the campus. Extending Winter and killing Front will make traffic more direct and streamlined through the area, and allow GVSU more expansion options.

I just wish GVSU would leave at least some small lot for local parking. There is a crapton of GVSU stuff, but it all requires a student pass.

Yeah, I was only looking at the bird's eye view. Went back to just the aerial on Bing Maps, and see it's much more recent.

[MQT1223]

Do we have a timeframe on when rails will start to be lifted and when crossings will start to disappear? Lifting those rails will DRASTICALLY improve that area's appearance. Does lifting the rails also include the rails left over in the grass from the old LS&MS? It will be so nice to see Butterworth, Watson and Godfrey get rebuilt. They NEED it, and NEED it badly. How will this switch be added onto the existing CSX spur will it make the spur crossing on Butterworth a two track crossing or will the switch be in the scrapyard? Can anyone provide an illustration on how they think it might happen?

[J T]

Glad I caught a train there before they ripped it out.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 37&nseq=45

[SD80MAC]

Me too!

Rare move by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

Emerging from the jungle! by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

[MQT1223]

Intereesting seeing the crossing before the traffic lights were installed JT. Cool pics SD80MAC. The day the signals came down, maybe an hour after the Westbound signal cane down that same GP35 ran up CSX light to the GRE.

[Raildudes dad]

Do we have a timeframe on when rails will start to be lifted and when crossings will start to disappear? Lifting those rails will DRASTICALLY improve that area's appearance. Does lifting the rails also include the rails left over in the grass from the old LS&MS? It will be so nice to see Butterworth, Watson and Godfrey get rebuilt. They NEED it, and NEED it badly. How will this switch be added onto the existing CSX spur will it make the spur crossing on Butterworth a two track crossing or will the switch be in the scrapyard? Can anyone provide an illustration on how they think it might happen?

Pages 25-26
http://grcity.us/design-and-development ... 6-9-15.pdf

[Raildudes dad]

I just wish GVSU would leave at least some small lot for local parking. There is a crapton of GVSU stuff, but it all requires a student pass.

It's there, just need to know where to go

[SD80MAC]

I guess this is my one and only shot of a train parked here now!

Can't see this anymore! by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr

[bn13814]

Do we have a timeframe on when rails will start to be lifted and when crossings will start to disappear? Lifting those rails will DRASTICALLY improve that area's appearance. Does lifting the rails also include the rails left over in the grass from the old LS&MS? It will be so nice to see Butterworth, Watson and Godfrey get rebuilt. They NEED it, and NEED it badly. How will this switch be added onto the existing CSX spur will it make the spur crossing on Butterworth a two track crossing or will the switch be in the scrapyard? Can anyone provide an illustration on how they think it might happen?

Pages 25-26
http://grcity.us/design-and-development ... 6-9-15.pdf

That link seems to indicate both CSXT and GDLK will still be serving Padnos after the track reconfiguration is done. Is that correct?

[Saturnalia]

Do we have a timeframe on when rails will start to be lifted and when crossings will start to disappear? Lifting those rails will DRASTICALLY improve that area's appearance. Does lifting the rails also include the rails left over in the grass from the old LS&MS? It will be so nice to see Butterworth, Watson and Godfrey get rebuilt. They NEED it, and NEED it badly. How will this switch be added onto the existing CSX spur will it make the spur crossing on Butterworth a two track crossing or will the switch be in the scrapyard? Can anyone provide an illustration on how they think it might happen?

Pages 25-26
http://grcity.us/design-and-development ... 6-9-15.pdf

That link seems to indicate both CSXT and GDLK will still be serving Padnos after the track reconfiguration is done. Is that correct?

Yes

[Saturnalia]

There's a whole stack of new ties at Butterworth, I presume for this new connection.

Maybe CSX will do some work on its side, too. Getting into rough shape! Wonder how much of it Padnos owns?

[MQT1223]

There's a whole stack of new ties at Butterworth, I presume for this new connection.

Maybe CSX will do some work on its side, too. Getting into rough shape! Wonder how much of it Padnos owns?

Those ties have been there for over a week. But I would think with two railroads now using the one spur its time for some work. How much does it own, my guess would be up to Butterworth but I could be wrong.

[MQT1223]

The Watson Crossing and Crossbucks are gone and the Grand Elk Butterworth Crossing is already gone and filled in, with the CSX crossing looking like its next to go.

[Saturnalia]

The Watson Crossing and Crossbucks are gone and the Grand Elk Butterworth Crossing is already gone and filled in, with the CSX crossing looking like its next to go.

Those were gone by last week Thursday! Already staked for the new track.

[Standard Railfan]

Those were gone by last week Thursday! Already staked for the new track.

Whose garage are they hanging in?

[MQT1223]

Just in case anyone was following the progress of the spur realignment or can't follow it, a switch has been installed just Butterworth Avenue to join up with the existing spur segment still intact leading into Padnos. Looks like they will be cutting stright across the empty lot. Some pipe work is currently being handled, lots of dust from cutting concrete.