Underpass upgrades cost $500k

Project updates on major Sandusky roads • Thursday — Butler Street • Today — Columbus Avenue • Saturday — Perkins Avenue SANDUSKY — Not all work planned for the Columbus Avenue underpass stems from last year's train derailment. During a recent public meeting, Sandusky city commissioners approved a $500,000 work order to rehabilitate certain aspects of this hybrid road-train structure, often called a "subway" by locals. Officials plan on spending dollars they previously received through the American Rescue Plan Act. The stimulus money helped local governments, including Sandusky, rebound from financial hardships brought on by COVID-19-related factors. In total, the city obtained $18 million. Prior to the October 2022 train derailment officials budgeted funds to shore up areas of this structure. "We were hoping to move forward on those improvements last winter/spring, but the derailment caused us to delay our intended work and revise our scope," city public works director Aaron Klein said. A city memo provided insight into the work on tap, which must be completed by June 7: • "Replace the remaining unsafe walkway handrail to a rustproof aluminum style to match the other half that will be replaced by the railroad; This is the most costly element of work." • "Upgrade underpass lighting to match the LED lighting fixtures on the Camp Street underpass for pedestrian and driver safety" • "Power-wash and chisel off the existing wall coatings to the stone/concrete structure" • "Repair delimitation and cracks with specialized cements and epoxies" • "Reapply a new waterproof coating system" Pay up Meanwhile, for all work related to last year's derailment, officials took a hardline stance with Norfolk Southern. They demanded the rail company cover every cent incurred for work caused by its trains. And, to date, it has. The company "will continue to replace and pay for all of the handrail on the north side of the railroad bridge as part of their repairs as well as any of the remaining roadway and lift station (which processes wastewater) improvements," Klein said. Norfolk Southern has "also performed concrete repairs to the damaged portions of the walls caused by the derailment," he added. Furthermore, it has "reimbursed the city and Mosser, our contractor for the lift station, for all work that has been invoiced to date," Klein said. "More work remains, but we expect them to continue paying those bills." To date, Norfolk Southern has paid three invoices from Mosser collectively totaling $522,000. Another invoice, sent on Sept. 15, requires a payment of $158,000. The city also received a reimbursement for about $57,000 for expenses related to police officers, firefighters and other city workers responding to this event. "There will be more invoices," said Klein, noting it's for the lift station. An overall cost, however, is not yet known. For local taxpayers, officials underscored how they're free from any expense. Between stimulus dollars and Norfolk Southern's financial commitment, the city will be made whole, Klein said. Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern already paid for additional non-public costs for various other tasks in and around this area. "I don't have any information whatsoever about what Norfolk Southern is paying its contractor, Ruhlin, for the portion of the work that Norfolk Southern wanted to keep in-house," said Klein, noting this includes pavement, handrails, concrete repairs, sewer work and more. What happened? During the late afternoon of Oct. 8, a Norfolk Southern freight train experienced engine issues. This caused 20 of the train's 101 total cars to derail, toppling from about 15 feet overhead down onto the roadway. "The train cars damaged the sewer lift station walls, the pavement on Columbus Avenue, electrical for lights, traffic control and safety devices, the sidewalk, sewer infrastructure, the decorative pedestrian safety railing, the retaining walls on the east and west sides of the underpass, the parapet (concrete) walls and handrail on the railroad bridge and other infrastructure," according to a city statement. Officials stressed how paraffin wax isn't hazardous. Shockingly, when this transpired, neither a vehicle nor a pedestrian traveled underneath this busy passageway. Luckily, nobody sustained any injuries or died as a result of what went down. "This event could have been a lot worse, and all involved played a role in this success. Train cars and concrete can be replaced. Lives cannot," said city ex officio mayor Dick Brady, who credited first responders for staying near this site for hours, cleaning up materials and directing traffic. "To be able to report no injuries or deaths is a blessing for this city." About 1,500 Ohio Edison customers lost power near the derailment site on that Saturday evening as train cars became tangled in power lines and brought down poles during the derailment. Ohio Edison restored power to affected customers about a day later. Due to its instability and accounting for other safety factors, crews shut down the underpass — a major north-south thoroughfare in Sandusky — to all traffic for about four months. It partially reopened in February and fully reopened in May. Work continues to this day, ensuring its overall safety. No other incidents compromising safety have occurred at this site since the derailment.