BILLINGS – Montana Department of Transportation representatives met with members of the public in Billings Monday afternoon to hear comments on proposed improvements to the 27th Street railroad crossing.
A 2016 Montana Department of Transportation study identified the railroad crossing at North 27th Street in Billings as one that could be improved.
According to the transportation department, on average, about 15,000 vehicles cross the tracks on 27th Street per day.
The agency is exploring three options to change the at-grade railroad crossing.
They could bring traffic over the tracks with a two-lane overpass.
Or bring traffic under the tracks with either a two-lane tunnel or two-lane underpass.
Tim Erickson, transportation manager with HDR Engineering in Billings, says officials are gathering public comment from citizens and businesses on the right option for Billings.
“What we want to do is to turn the crank a bit more. Add more data into the bucket. The outcome of that would be a single preferred alternative either an overpass or an underpass that we would come back and present to the public. And tell them how we got there with the information that we have.”
If you can not make the open house, written comments can be mailed to the Montana Department of Transportation Billings office at P.O. Box 20437, Billings, MT 59101-0437. Comments can also be submitted online.
