Fort Carson, Colo., hits roadblock with proposed railroad expansion

Written by jrood

Fort Carson hopes to get military equipment that soldiers need shipped overseas faster, local media report. The Mountain Post wants to add a train track to an already existing track. The new track would start at the Fort Carson rail yard and continue about a half-mile off post.

According to Commander
Robert McLaughlin, the shipment of everything from tanks to Humvees out to a
coastal port takes about 96 hours during Army deployments out of Fort Carson.
McLaughlin says the extra track would boost production, speeding up shipment
times by as much as 24 hours, from 96 hours to 72 hours.

Fort Carson says the
initial plan was introduced back in 2005 but it recently hit a roadblock. The
trains carrying all the Army equipment pass right by the Stratmoor Hills
neighborhood, just north of Fort Carson. Neighborhood leaders say they weren’t
informed of Fort Carson’s plans for expansion until just recently. Now, they’re
concerned about public safety and noise.

"They have to
balance what their mission is with what are concerns are for the community,"
said Jane Dillon, a Stratmoor Hills resident.

Commander McLaughlin says
the expansion would only mean positive things for the Stratmoor Hills
community. "The goal for the project we believe in the long run will limit
the amount of time that trains are operating," said McLaughlin. "It will reduce
noise, reduce traffic and make it more safe."

Another part of the
railway expansion would be the construction of a pedestrian bridge near
B-Street. Fort Carson has submitted an environmental assessment that won’t be
fully processed until June 20.

Dillon says once she and
the rest of her neighbors from Stratmoor Hills were informed of Fort Carson’s
plans they have been kept in the loop. But she still has concerns, including
the worry that a major road leading to the neighborhood will be blocked by
trains. Dillon says a fire department is on one side of the tracks and the
neighborhood is on the other. She wonders what would happen if there were an
emergency. "A two or three minute delay could mean a life," said Dillon.

Stratmoor Hills neighbors
have also talked with Fort Carson about a possible sound barrier similar to the
ones along I-25.

"We’ve got to have
balance with the need to deploy combat brigades and the community concerns," said
Commander McLaughlin. "We will do that."

Commander McLaughlin says
he will report to General Perkins with recommendations from the community
before any plans on the expansion become final.

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