CITIZENS TELL PERILS OF TRACKS

Several Scott City residents have begun efforts to make a railroad crossing safer for drivers in the area.

The "Bell Crossing" is across from Highway N in Scott County, just outside the Scott City limits on County Road 305, there's a railroad crossing known as "Bell Crossing."

Heading south toward Eleventh Street East, the county road comes to a steep, narrow point at the top of the crossing. Bill Zimmerman, 67, called the crossing dangerous and a place that could lead to a fatality.

"Say you're going along the road at 30 mph," he said. "You come to that crossing, and suddenly, you can't see a thing. It's a dangerous place."

Zimmerman, a retired pipefitter and lifelong Scott City resident, said he wants the road repaved so the grade to the tracks isn't so steep and wants the railroad tracks at the crossing made smoother.

Crossing has blind spot

"I envision coming up on the tracks going north, more elevation so you can see what's coming over the tracks," Zimmerman said. "It's a blind spot and by the time you get up to the crossing, you can't tell if a car's there."

Zimmerman has encountered cars at the crossing many times over the years, and there have been times he couldn't see the cars coming until he was on top of the tracks. At times, too, he's been forced off the road to avert an accident.

After one incident where he narrowly avoided another car, he talked to a Union Pacific Railroad employee in a truck next to the tracks.

The employee said Zimmerman should report the crossing problem to U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson.

When he called Emerson's office, he was assured she would try to get the tracks fixed.

Aaron Washburn, staff assistant at Emerson's office, said the office can't comment on the progress of constituent complaints.

Meeting about crossing

Zimmerman also spoke with Scott County commissioners, Scott City council members and area residents about the tracks, which resulted in a meeting this week about the crossing.

Scott County First District Commissioner Joe Schram agreed a problem exists, saying that with the opening of Highway AB, traffic on the county road has doubled or tripled.

"I can't speak for the other districts, but you've got my support all the way," Schram said. "It's bad."

Four people at the meeting said they'd called the number for Union Pacific listed on the side of a building near the crossing.

"I got a hold of a gentleman who said, Oh, we'll get on this right away,'" Mary Holder said. "That was a year and a half ago."

Velma August talked to a man who said he "didn't even know Union Pacific had a crossing down there."

Scott County Second District Commissioner Jamie Burger said he had contacted Justin McGowan, manager of track maintenance for Union Pacific, about the situation, and that McGowan was cooperative.

John Bromley, public affairs official for Union Pacific, said he has spoken with the district office in St. Louis, and that the railroad planned to look at the crossing and see what could be done to fix it.

Monty Keesee, who owns the property near the crossing, said he agreed seeing over the crossing is a problem.

"You get up to the top, and you're looking at the sky," he said.

Keesee said he would consider selling part of his property if the restructuring of the road would have to extend past Union Pacific's right of way.

Keesee said Union Pacific has a right of way extending 50 to 100 feet from the tracks.

Schram said it "is going to take a lot" of money to fund the idea, as well as cooperation from both Union Pacific and the Illmo Special Roads District.

Zimmerman is concerned the increased use of Highway N, the SEMO Port Road, as a way to get from Cape Girardeau to Scott City will eventually lead to someone being killed at the crossing.

"There's increased usage of this road as another way to get to Cape, and I'm concerned that there's going to be a fatality," Zimmerman said.

Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell said that although there was a past incident of a patrolman getting his car hung up on the rails trying to make a turnabout, he doesn't know of any other accidents in the area. The Missouri Highway Patrol would have handled any accidents.

"It is difficult to see traffic, but I don't know if any accidents have occurred there or not," Ferrell said.

Sgt. Brent Davis, public relations officer for the Missouri Highway Patrol, said that the patrol is unaware of this being a problem area.

blewis@semissiourian.com