The BNSF railroad crossing at Hollywood Avenue will remain open longer than originally planned.
The railroad company agreed to delay necessary maintenance work until after the school year ends, following a request from the village of Brookfield.
The crossing closure is unavoidable: the railroad must perform regular maintenance work. But timing matters greatly to residents north of the crossing.
Hollywood Avenue is their only direct route north. When it closes, they must detour to busy First Avenue.
Village Manager Tim Wiberg explained that the railroad had originally planned to close the crossing during spring, which would have disrupted school events during a busy time of year. Riverside-Brookfield High School is located just north of the crossing.
After the village requested a delay, BNSF agreed to push the work to late May, after school ends.
“They’re going to hold off until, I think, the last week in May,” Wiberg said.
No specific new date has been announced.
Some residents have requested that the village allow a left turn from the South Hollywood neighborhood onto First Avenue to ease the detour. Garvey said that’s not feasible.
“That’s not our jurisdiction, and I also know it’s not safe to allow a left turn out onto First Avenue. There’s no way to do it without closing the crossing,” Garvey said at the April 27 village board meeting.
Village officials will announce the new start date on its website as soon as BNSF confirms it.