The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Railroad has told the City of Dubuque it plans to permanently close the railroad crossing at E. 15th Street starting this Wednesday.
The closure is an initial step in the City’s pursuit of creating a railroad quiet zone in downtown Dubuque in preparation for an expected significant increase in train traffic. Following the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern Railways, train traffic in Dubuque is expected to increase from nine trains per day to as many as 18 trains per day by 2027.
A traffic study found on average nearly 300 vehicles per day cross the railroad tracks on East 15th. By comparison, approximately 6-thousand vehicles per day cross the railroad tracks on East 16th St. Closing the crossing will eliminate the need to implement safety measures to achieve the quiet zone designation, resulting in significant cost savings.