SD&G – The head of the county roads department says a deal is in the works to remove the railroad crossing on County Road 2 at the South Stormont-Cornwall municipal border.
Ben de Haan told Cornwall Newswatch Friday, they are working out an agreement with the landowner as the railway is on private property.
The crossing, next to Trillium Drive at Guindon Park, is part of a 41-year-old spur line which isn’t even connected to the main CN Railway line near Richmond Road.
“Provided we do get that agreement and cooperation with them, there’s no doubt in mind that it will get done this year,” de Haan told CNW.
Part of that agreement would allow the owner to reinstate the line in the future to government standards if it’s needed, according to de Haan’s presentation to county council in November.
De Haan believes pulling the rail lines and covering up the holes in the asphalt would be a minimal expense covered under the county road repair budget.
“It’s not a big section that we actually have to pave and to pull out a couple signs with a backhoe is nothing,” he added.
In November, the project was expected to be part of 2016 budget talks but the matter never came up during those meetings last week.