Railroad crossing work in Westlake nears completion - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Railroad crossing work in Westlake is almost complete, according to Calcasieu Parish Police Juror Hal McMillin.

The repairs to the crossing at Trousdale Road are complete, but the crossing at Sampson Street is not.

"It's been quite a long time, I can tell you we've been working on it the last three to four months very diligently to get the DOTD and the railroad to talk with us," McMillin said.

And that's because Trousdale is owned by the parish, and Sampson is a Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development project.

"They have to get their agreement signed for that to get repaired," McMillin said. "We went in on a cost share with the Trousdale, we're waiting for the state to go in with the Union Pacific on a cost share to get it repaired. And it's very near being done."

McMillin said state officials are working diligently to get the Sampson Street crossing repaired as soon as possible. He said by mid-September, the railroad crossing at Sampson should be complete.

A bulletin will be sent out to residents alerting them of the repairs and traffic detours. The repairs should take about one day to complete.

McMillin said the repairs will make the Sampson Street track crossings smoother.

"The frustration of going over the track and banging your car and truck, boat trailers, whatever...it's dangerous going across those tracks and it's hard on the vehicles," McMillin said. "It's really in deplorable shape. I hate that it's gotten this bad of shape and I can tell you that hopefully with the railroad and the contacts we have now, it'll never get like this again."

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