Bouncing over the train tracks causes more than just a headache for local drivers. The rail crossing at 1500 South and approximately 900 West is consistently a problem due to its subsidence issues. And this issue, along with drainage near the lines, only seems to be getting worse.

Subsidence is the sinking or settling of a road’s surface below its original level. It occurs when the soil beneath the road surface becomes compressed or unstable, causing the road to sink or collapse. Various factors, including soil erosion and human activities such as construction, can cause it. Road subsidence can pose a significant safety hazard, resulting in uneven road surfaces, potholes and even sinkholes, which can cause accidents and damage vehicles.

“City staff have shared with UP and UTA officials the data we have collected about subsidence and have had conversations about piering the rail lines,” said Woods Cross Public Works Director Sam Christiansen. “Still, neither agency has identified it as a high enough priority to budget for it. Staff will continue to work with UTA and UP to attempt to get a more permanent repair. Until then, the crossing will have to be repaired every 12 to 18 months.”

Christiansen said that as the ground settles, it causes the tracks to settle at a different rate due to the weight of the other UP rail cars. The FrontRunner rail also has settling issues, but it is not nearly as bad as their rail cars weigh less. “We have asked them in the past to raise their rails. So, when UTA does the double-tracking project, we will ask them to look into raising the rails at this crossing.”

Adding to the subsidence problem is a shallow water pocket under the UP tracks that causes water and mud to be pushed through the rock supporting the rails. This is caused by the rail cars’ weight and the pushing down of the ground, which moves the water and mud around. Woods Cross has worked with UP to try to mitigate this pumping issue, and UP’s crews could not get the drainage pipe low enough into the ground to capture and move the water away.

“In my opinion, they need to pier it or repair it properly,” said Mayor Ryan Westergard during a recent February city council meeting.

“A permanent repair would be to build a bridge or pier (similar to what is done to correct homes) their rail line,” Christiansen said. “These come down to ownership and funding.”

Another major problem with this crossing is that several entities own multiple rail lines. This becomes an issue because the Union Pacific (UP) lines are at a different elevation than the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) Frontrunner lines. Due to this change in ownership, repairs are hard to find funding for, and challenging to coordinate the timing for road work. 

Woods Cross owns the road up to within 18 inches of the crossing panels and is the road authority. Union Pacific and UTA have expressed that a bridge should be built and paid for by the city. 

“At an estimated cost of  $30 to $40 million, which is more than 10 times the city’s annual operating budget, this is a project for which the city has no funding mechanism,” said Christiansen. “And UDOTs transportation plans do not call out for a bridge (qualifying it for a possible grant) until the 2040s.”

The road and track closure is anticipated to be from a Saturday to Tuesday. The city was planning on this closure during March. However, due to the recent snowfall, the repairs will take place sometime in April. City crews will coordinate with UP and do some needed road repairs during the closure in order to minimize road closures in the area. Woods Cross city staff will place signage out a week in advance and notify residents via social media, the city website and the reader board at City Hall.

“The city is continually working with UDOT and other agencies to get this project moved up sooner, but there is no guarantee,” said Christiansen. λ