The railroad crossing in Perry on Lecompton Road will be closed Nov. 6 and 7 by Union Pacific for work on the crossing, Jefferson County Public Works Director Ben Domann said to commissioners during the Oct. 31 meeting.
“That will be closed and even closed overnight,” Domann said. “So those two days the citizens that are looking to commute down Lecompton Road will need to find an alternative route.”
USD 343 Perry-Lecompton requested to use the one-lane bridge at 5th and Oak Street to move students while the railroad crossing is closed, Domann said. However, the last time that Finney & Turnipseed, the civil engineers who do all of Jefferson County’s bridge inspections, last looked at the bridge, they discussed dropping the maximum weight from six tons to four tons.
“It’s a bridge that needs to be replaced in time in Jefferson County, when we get the funding,” Domann said. “But as for right now, with the advice of Finney & Turnipseed, the engineering outfit, and with you guys’ to support as commissioners, I believe we need to not utilize that for school bussing children across for their safety.”
Commissioners approved Domann’s suggestion by consensus. (No official vote was taken but all commissioners were in verbal agreement.)