ROCKINGHAM — Maintenance on railroad crossing in Richmond County, originally scheduled for this week, has been moved back a few weeks.
Last month, Southern Commercial Development, LLC issued a public service announcement with a list of dates for the closure of several railroad crossings.
The company, which provides traffic control and detour signs for CSX Transportation, released an updated schedule this week, with work now scheduled to begin Oct. 28 on the Hamlet Avenue crossing. It is expected to be closed through Nov. 4.
The Raleigh Street crossing is scheduled to close on Nov. 5 and the following crossings are scheduled for closure in subsequent days:
Nov. 6 – (Hamlet) Broad Avenue, Bass Drive; (Rockingham) N. Beaunit Avenue, Biltmore Drive, Asheworth Drive, S. Long Drive
Nov. 7 – Caroline Street
Nov. 11 – Midway Road, Zion Church Road
There are also three crossings in Lilesville scheduled for closure Nov. 12-14: Pee Dee Road, Gravel Plant Road, and Pit Road/Halieys Ferry Road ((near Welika Fish Camp Road).
Each crossing is expected to be closed two-five days, according to the company.
When the first announcement was made, several residents expressed concerns on social media regarding Biltmore Drive and S. Long Drive being closed at the same time, as they are the only two roads that connect U.S. 74 Business with Mill Road between U.S. 1 in Rockingham and N.C. 177 in Hamlet.
Erika Elmore, a spokesperson for Southern Commercial Development, said the roadmaster will look to see if one of those two can be skipped. She also said the company received no concern from public officials.
“We can’t make any promises, but he will see what we can do to lessen the impact for the citizens,” she said Wednesday.
If one is skipped, she said it could be closed from Monday through Saturday when work is done.
All dates are subject to change due to weather or other conditions.
