Light rail redo at two crossings in Norfolk, Va.

Ingleside Civic League president Phillip Hawkins points to a rut with his shoe along the light rail tracks that run in front of his home. He's less than thrilled his neighborhood is about to be inconvenienced again, Norfolk, Va.'s WAVY reports. Starting July 6, crews will rip out the light rail crossing at Ingleside and Mississippi and replace it. The same will happen at the Bristol and Curlew Dr crossing. 
WAVY learned the concrete panels settled causing the tracks to move.

It’s the same problem
that happened at the intersection of 2nd Street. Upon that discovery, HRT reviewed
10 crossings along the 7.4-mile line. Officials found Bristol and Ingleside
were not up to standards.

"If somebody told me they
built a 7.4-mile light rail anywhere in the world and didn’t have to go back
and re-do something I’d say you’ve got a bad project because nothing is that
perfect," said HRT CEO Phil Shucet during a May interview about the 2nd Street
crossing.

In a perfect world,
Hawkins and his neighbors would like this to be finished. The crossing is the
only way in and out to 70 homes. During construction last year, residents
maneuvered on a one-way temporary road for months. For the next few weeks, they’ll
have to do that again.

"You had to let one
person come in and someone coming up some of them had to back up and let them
come through and vice versa. It was kind of a nightmare," said Hawkins.

Construction is expected to
begin at 6 a.m. and last until 10 p.m. for the next several weeks. It will cost
$100,000 to repair each crossing. The money will come from a contingency fund
and will not add to the total cost of the project.