Students and faculty can expect delays on their morning commute to campus this week as the University of Memphis begins to build improvements to the cross walks around the Southern Avenue railroad tracks.
In an email sent to faculty, staff and students, David Zettergren, vice president of U of M’s business and finance, said the university will soon begin construction of a fence around the train tracks parallel to Southern Avenue.
The university will also add handicap accessible rams to railroad crossing areas. Zettergren wrote that people should use caution when driving and crossing the tracks.
“Allow extra time when coming to campus due to the possibility of delays,” Zettergren said.
Zettergren also shared a video of what the new railroad crossing areas would look like.
The new crosswalks will not just be fully handicap accessible, but a great visual improvement, said Gerry Keen the campus planning and design construction representative for this project.
“It will be fully accessible,” Keen said. “It’s the back/front door of the campus so its appearance is very important. It will give the campus a much needed visual improvement.”
Both Norfolk Southern Railway and contractor Allen & Hoshall, will begin work some time this week, Keen said.
Students and staff will still be able to park near and walk across the tracks during construction, but Keen said it would be a good idea for students to avoid Southern Avenue and come through Spottswood Avenue, instead.
Zettergren said the project should be finished before the beginning of the fall semester.
The fence will likely end the long standing tradition of students illegally crossing the Southern railroad tracks by limiting access to designated walkways. The project is expected to cost a little more than $1.6 million Tony Poteet, assistant vice president of campus planning and design said to a Daily Helmsman reporter in February.
About 80 percent of the project is being paid for by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The U of M will cover the remainder of the cost.
Long term, however, the University of Memphis will build a pedestrian bridge over the Southern rail road tracks, likely ending the problem of trains (both moving and stopped) from blocking students and faculty from getting to their cars or class.
That project is expected to cost at least $18 million, and is paid for entirely by student fees. Recently, Bruce Harber, campus chief of police, emailed students and faculty warning them of the dangers of climbing over stopped trains.
“For your safety, NEVER climb on, over or through a stopped train,” Harber said. “In addition to the life threatening danger involved, it is also against the law.”
