County commissioners derail support for track relocation

Written by jrood

Colbert County, Ala., Commissioners will not be writing a letter of support for a proposed project to relocate the Norfolk Southern tracks that run through Sheffield, Muscle Shoals and Tuscumbia, according to the Florence Times-Daily. An item seeking support from the commission was removed from the Sept. 8 meeting agenda by Commission Chairman Roger Creekmore at the request of Commissioner Emmitt Jimmar, who questioned why the commission was even involved in the issue.

Creekmore explained that
the Shoals Metropolitan Planning Organization is seeking letters of support
from local governments to include in their application for a Transportation
Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER grant, which would fund the
project.

Steve Stanley, a
Sheffield City Council member, saw the TIGER grant as a means to fund the
estimated $80-million project.

Several county residents
voiced their opposition to the project and urged commissioners not to pledge
their support.

"We’re going to
fight this tooth and nail," said Tuscumbia resident Mary Carton.

Carton said she preferred
the use of overpasses to solve the rail traffic problem rather then
constructing new tracks through an area of the county that is becoming more
developed.

Frankfort Road resident
Dale Spain said he wants some assurance that overpasses would be built rather
than ground-level crossings, especially on the heavily traveled road on which
he lives.

Creekmore reiterated that
the MPO would move forward with the project with or without the letter of
support. He also reminded the residents that the railroad could exercise their
right of eminent domain if they wanted land for the new rail line, which is
designed to move rail traffic out of heavily populated areas of the Shoals.

Residents also voiced their
displeasure over the use of the phrase, "railroad relocation" since
the project includes the construction of about seven miles of new railroad
tracks. The old railroad track would remain in the three cities to serve local
customers.

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