CSX crews shut down the only road in and out of the Oak Ridge neighborhood for 10 hours for rail repairs. Residents were trapped all day.
BLACKSHEAR, Ga. — A neighborhood in Blackshear was shut out from the community as CSX crews closed the only road in and out for railroad repairs.
CSX teams spent nearly 10 hours conducting track replacement and repaving work on the asphalt at the Oak Ridge Circle crossing, which serves as the singular access point for the numerous residents of the Oak Ridge neighborhood.
Some residents were left stuck in their homes, while others chose to cross the tracks on foot — like Danny Ensch.
“I’m just heading to Dollar General to grab a drink,” remarked Ensch. “The situation really doesn’t affect those who are willing to walk, but many people end up taking time off work for this kind of event.”
According to CSX, the maintenance work was necessary, as the tracks see between 10 to 20 trains a day.
“I’m lucky I retired last year so I don’t have to go a lot of places, but yeah — if I worked, this would be very inconvenient,” said Chris Rodgers.
After living in the neighborhood for 10 years, Rodgers said shutting down the only entrance and exit draws attention to a bigger issue.
“They’ve been talking for years about having another way in and out of here — and we still don’t,” he said.
According to Pierce County officials, they are considering opening a second crossing about a mile up the road at Timber Lane.
CSX sent a statement to First Coast News last week, saying:
As part of CSX’s comprehensive infrastructure maintenance program across its network, repairs and upgrades will be undertaken at the Oak Ridge Circle grade crossing in Blackshear, Georgia, on Monday, July 14. The crossing will be inaccessible to vehicle traffic from 10 a.m. ET but is planned to be reopened later that same day.
Maintenance like this is critical to the safety of both train operations and roadway traffic, and to meeting the dynamic freight transportation needs of businesses across the region.
The work has been scheduled in close coordination with Pierce County in order to temporarily close the road so that crews can replace the crossties and repave the asphalt approaches to ensure a safe, smooth surface for drivers.
CSX understands that the temporary closure will be inconvenient for residents but appreciates the public’s patience as we complete this work, which is vital to ensuring the safety of motorists and a safe, reliable rail network.
