BELGRADE, Mont. — Drivers are facing more delays at the railroad crossing near Jackrabbit Lane and Main Street as crews work to address issues with repairs completed earlier this month.
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The crossing was previously closed Oct. 13-15 while BNSF Railway worked on the tracks. Now, the Montana Department of Transportation is partnering with BNSF to address issues with the previous asphalt repairs.
The work is also affecting nearby businesses.
Alyssa, who works in counter sales at Pomp’s Tire Service just down the road from the crossing, said the previous closure made it more difficult for customers to reach the business.
“The street was really blocked off, so we didn’t have walk-in customers, I suppose, for two, three days,” she said.
Bozeman Area Maintenance Chief Josh Ritchie said the problem with the previous repairs is straightforward.
“It’s just the embankment where the asphalt meets the concrete,” Ritchie said. “It’s just a bump in the asphalt where it was patched in. It’s something we can fix; it’s easily remedied.”
While crews work Tuesday and Wednesday, southbound traffic on Jackrabbit Lane will be closed, while northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane.
Alyssa said even her coworkers had trouble figuring out how to navigate the area during the previous closure.
“They were on the phone, like, ‘Where do I go? How do I get to here? Where’s our other entrance?’” she said.
MDT hopes to have the work finished by Thursday, with the goal of making a substantial improvement to the railroad crossing.
