Town of Innisfail and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. staff removed ice from beneath rubber mats at the 44 Avenue crossing Feb. 7.
Two town staff members and a backhoe were provided to help with the effort, which required a partial road closure.
ìThey made a request for a closure and we said we'd accommodate half at a time,î said Barry Baker, Innisfail's director of operational services. ìIt's a truck road through town.î
With 24 hours' notice, the town worked with CPR to assess the situation and completed the work by Feb. 8, he said.
ìIf we can maintain half-and-half, it's the preferred route so we maintain traffic flow,î he said. ìThat's a pretty busy road.î
Unlike the 50 Avenue and 42 Street crossing where concrete pads are in place, the rubber pads between the tracks at the site of the 44 Avenue crossing are subject to frozen water buildup beneath them, said Dan Gervais, public works supervisor.
ìThe crossing was rough,î he said. ìThe snow builds up under the pad.î
CPR confirmed the rubber pads along the crossing surface had been raised up by ice, which was the reason for the minor repairs.
ìThe ice that formed underneath pushed it up a bit,î said Kevin Hrysak, a company spokesperson. ìWe are pretty quick at mitigating any of those issues.î
The company workers will return mid-summer to finish upgrades to the Main Street crossing, he said.
ìThat didn't get finished due to weather concerns,î he said, ìYou can't lay asphalt at a certain time.î
Full upgrades to local crossings will include putting in new rail ties and concrete pads, he said.
ìIt's more durable products,î he said.
