Brightline construction crews take over downtown Melbourne, Fla.
Written by RT&S Staff
Brightline begins crew training and qualification runs on new line.
Brightline
Melbourne very well could be the railroad crossing capital of the state of Florida. That’s not a title you want to have when crews are knee deep in construction.
The city has a total of 21 railroad crossings, and Brightline, which is building its high-speed rail route from Ft. Lauderdale to the Orlando International Airport, is expected to be working on local streets for the next few months.
Work includes the installation of raised concrete medians, traffic signal upgrades, signage installation, the construction of sidewalks, and the installation of exit gates and pedestrian gates to prepare crossings for high-speed rail service.
Crews are currently working on the Strawbridge Avenue railroad crossing, which has been described as “hugely disruptive” as traffic backups become increasingly long. In September, crossings at Babcock Street and New Haven Avenue will be addressed. All three locations are in the heart of Melbourne’s downtown area.
In the coming weeks, Melbourne Avenue will be closed for months for the $17 million Crane Creek bridge project.
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