Calera railroad bridge project awaits state and federal funding

Emergency services racing to help someone in need. Parents taking their children to school. Trucks carrying lumber and goodsAnd visitors just hoping to drive through town. What do they have in common? They have all had to sit in traffic due to a train blockage in the city of Calera. City leaders have been working with state officials and federal leaders to get a bridge over the railroad tracks for more than two years as traffic issues grow in Calera, according to Mayor Kenny Cost. The project will cost about $31 million, but city officials say they need additional funding and support to continue moving it forward. “My goal as the mayor of Calera is getting this bridge in as quick as possible to help the economy and so we can keep moving,” Cost said. Traffic issuesA train stops cars near downtown Calera off Highway 25.Alaina BookmanThere are seven railroad crossings in the city of Calera. Cost said people have to drive ten miles out of their way to get around the trains. In January, a man was injured after his car was hit by a train at the 20th Avenue railroad crossing near downtown, according to reports from WBRC. And two weeks ago, trains blocked every railroad crossing in the city for nearly four hours. “It was three and a half hours we sat here, and our city couldn’t go anywhere,” Cost said. Calera City Engineer Jonathan Stanton said that with more families moving to Calera and an increase in the use of the railroads, traffic is getting worse and the local economy is suffering. “We’re a growing community with affordable housing that allows young families to start here, and them being able to get school is very critical,” Stanton said. “Also, getting emergency services to them is very critical as well. And right now that train blocks that. We’ve got a situation where it’s affecting how we can attract residents to grow in a way that we need to.”Train blockages are not a new problem for the city. “We’ve been experiencing it for years,” Cost said. “But with the growth that we have now, we got to act on this and not wait until November. We need the state to step up today and give us a commitment letter for this bridge so we can move forward.”The bridge project and delaysA railroad crossing in Calera off Highway 31.Alaina BookmanStanton said a bridge over the railroad would alleviate traffic and help with the city’s population and economic growth. It would also decrease the need for large trucks to drive through the downtown area, making it safer for residents and visitors. Cost said the city is currently in the planning stages for the bridge. Calera has submitted a project management plan to the Federal Railroad Administration, which gave the city a nearly $12 million grant for the bridge. Stanton said regional partners will also help to fund the project.“This is hinging on the state. We need the state to pitch in $10 to $13 million,” Cost said. “We also need CSX Railroad to put in their percentage to help with this.”He added that he has applied for a $5 million grant through Sen. Katie Britt’s office, expecting to get a response around February 2027. Cost said the city also needs a commitment from the Alabama Department of Transportation to move forward, though the department has reservations. “This is a worthwhile project, and we hope it can be completed,” the Alabama Department of Transportation said in a statement. “However, the project remains in the developmental phase. With a new administration taking office in a matter of months, we do not have the authority to bind that administration to a $10 million funding commitment for a project that is not yet ready to move forward.”Meanwhile, Stanton said, the city is stalled.“We can’t move forward until we secure funding. This is a worthwhile project that is ready to start to move forward if we can get state cooperation and secure funding,” Stanton said. “Our request is for them to make this a priority for economic purposes and for the dangers and risk it poses to us as a city. Because every day that passes increases the chances that we have an issue.”Next stepsCost said he and Stanton are going to Washington on Monday to speak with federal officials about the bridge project. “If we can get everybody to the table and everybody commits, we can make this happen,” Cost said. Once they have the funding, construction would take about two to three years, according to Stanton. “Every day we’re not building, we’re losing money because construction costs more every year,” Stanton said. Cost said he is continuing to fight for the bridge project. “We want a cooperative team, an entire state, to work towards this because we see it as a value,” Stanton said. “We want to see Alabama become what it can be. In order to do that, we’ve got to have economic development, and Calera sits in a unique location for that. And this bridge will carry us forward.”