A feasibility assessment will be launched to look into the planned placement of a possible railway overpass along Cranbrook’s Theatre Road.
The assessment will be launched thanks to Cranbrook city council’s approval of $21,000 for the project.
According to city staff, the study will look at an alternate alignment off Theatre Road. The proposed location is near 1335 Theatre Road, which would link it with Industrial Road 1.
“There’s a lot of development on that side of the tracks now, and access is getting tougher,” said Mayor Lee Pratt. “With emergency vehicles trying to get over there with increased train traffic, we have to try to maintain safety to get across to there.”
Pratt said he hopes to move quickly on the project, but no timeline or exact budget is known yet.
“Peak Renewables, who owns the old Tembec lands, is willing to work with us to donate some of that land, but they’re also in the process of looking to subdivide that property. They have people interested in moving there, so they have to know the situation there, too before we go ahead,” said Pratt.
City staff said the overpass would provide safe, reliable, and non-congested access to the west side of Cranbrook.