Ashland Avenue Viaduct in Green Bay

[JREwing78]

I don't know what the thinking is here. Following the track NW from Ashland Ave, a half-mile down there's a building that has taken up the ROW on Oneida St that currently houses LaForce Counter Sales. They don't appear to be going anywhere. It looks like CN already pretty much gave up on this spur.

The track ROW is replaced by driveways and a recreational trail for the next 1 3/4 miles until encountering Escanaba & Lake Superior track servicing FyterTech Nonwovens.

That track looks decrepit all the way up to Lineville Rd & Velp Ave, where it merges with the main Escanaba & Lake Superior railroad line north to Iron Mountain, and can join the nearby CN railroad line coming into the north side of Green Bay.

It seems highly unlikely CN will ever find productive use of that site. It's not big enough to handle much switching activity; they have a much bigger and easily-expandable site along I-43 near the Leo Frigo bridge in an established industrial area. That land is far more valuable as a spot for housing, assuming any existing contamination is feasibly remedied.

I understand the city's frustration with CN tying up vacant land for no apparent reason, and forcing them into building a new overpass when by all appearances there's never going to be a purpose for the site.

[SEWIGuy]

Could it simply be a negotiating tactic of some sort? Do they know there will be significant environmental issues that may make them liable with a sale?

[triplemultiplex]

Update to say public meetings will be held in October/November, stating a possible 2031 demolition could occur. One sticking point is that even though the switching station has been abandoned for years, CN has no desire to sell the land.
https://news.yahoo.com/news/ashland-avenue-bridge-green-bay-100046062.html

That's what eminent domain is for.

[mgk920]

Update to say public meetings will be held in October/November, stating a possible 2031 demolition could occur. One sticking point is that even though the switching station has been abandoned for years, CN has no desire to sell the land.
https://news.yahoo.com/news/ashland-avenue-bridge-green-bay-100046062.html

That's what eminent domain is for.

CN would likely fight that expensively.

Mike

[Rothman]

Update to say public meetings will be held in October/November, stating a possible 2031 demolition could occur. One sticking point is that even though the switching station has been abandoned for years, CN has no desire to sell the land.
https://news.yahoo.com/news/ashland-avenue-bridge-green-bay-100046062.html

That's what eminent domain is for.

CN would likely fight that expensively.

Mike

Heh.  Railroads have their own legal framework in the U.S.  Rules do not apply to them.  My bet's on CN.

[SEWIGuy]

Update to say public meetings will be held in October/November, stating a possible 2031 demolition could occur. One sticking point is that even though the switching station has been abandoned for years, CN has no desire to sell the land.
https://news.yahoo.com/news/ashland-avenue-bridge-green-bay-100046062.html

That's what eminent domain is for.

CN would likely fight that expensively.

Mike

Heh.  Railroads have their own legal framework in the U.S.  Rules do not apply to them.  My bet's on CN.

Yeah between federal grants, easements, legal precedents, etc., unless a railroad wants to sell, there really is not much a municipality can do except wait them out or offer more money.

[Big John]

Public information meeting to be held April 9: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/32ashlandstudy/default.aspx

[on_wisconsin]

Tear down the eyesore "bridge over nothing" and replace it with a tasteful boulevard and multi-use path. Put a stipulation in the deal with the railroad that the govt will help fund a crossing in the unlikely event a track or two needs to ever be put back. The land is almost certainly going to be sold for redevelopment, rather than reverting to an active rail yard at this point anyway.

[mgk920]

Removing the elevated Ashland Ave (WI 32 in Green Bay) also removes the bridge of Ashland Ave over 5th St.  OTOH, there is more than enough room in the ROW for proper left turn lanes to be built at that and other intersections.  It is now generally accepted that undivided four lanes is an obsolete road striping design.

Mike

[on_wisconsin]

Removing the elevated Ashland Ave (WI 32 in Green Bay) also removes the bridge of Ashland Ave over 5th St.  OTOH, there is more than enough room in the ROW for proper left turn lanes to be built at that and other intersections.  It is now generally accepted that undivided four lanes is an obsolete road striping design.

Boulevard = generic urban multilane in this sense. However, the small amount of 5th St traffic in that area could easily be handled by a RIRO and a crosswalk, full access would be better tho.