The Gary/Chicago International Airport has won a key nod from CSX Corp. that will open the way for moving railroad tracks that block the expansion of its main runway, the Northwest Indiana Times reports. CSX has agreed to do design work that would allow the reroute of tracks belonging to Canadian National Railway on to CSX's own right-of-way on the north side of Chicago Avenue, according to Gary/Chicago International Airport Interim Director Steve Landry.

That design work, capped at $300,000, is a key step toward a global agreement with three railroads that would allow the Canadian National Tracks to be shifted from the northwest end of the main runway toward Cline Avenue and then rerouted along Chicago Avenue, Landry said. Both the CSX tracks and the Canadian National tracks would be carried across Industrial Avenue on a new overpass, eliminating the current CSX at-grade crossing on Industrial Avenue.

The design work will be done in-house by CSX and paid for out funds the airport is receiving from the Federal Aviation Administration for its runway expansion, Landry said.

Landry told the board of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority that the agreement represents "a milestone" in the airport's long quest to move Canadian National railroad tracks that block runway expansion. Those tracks formerly belonged to the EJ&E railway.

Landry said the airport hopes to have an agreement inked with CSX, Canadian National and Norfolk Southern by the end of this month that will allow the moving of the Canadian National Tracks.

CSX will design a division of its 150-foot wide right-of-way on the north side of Chicago Avenue so that half will be dedicated to the Canadian National tracks, Landry said.

The FAA has already approved funds that would pay about half the estimated $50-million price tag for moving the Canadian National tracks. The RDA has signaled it will provide additional funds if the airport makes progress in several key areas of its expansion plan.