Mt. Carmel Mayor Joe Judge’s effort to have a railroad overpass built on South Walnut Street has cleared a first hurdle. At Monday’s city council meeting, Judge said his request from the state department of transportation’s district office in Effingham was approved and forwarded to the next step at I-DOT’s Springfield headquarters. Judge said a trip to Mt. Carmel this summer by an I-DOT project manager was key in clearing the first step. The project manager was in charge of counting traffic while Norfolk Southern replaced the crossing on Walnut Street…
According to Judge, if an overpass is built on Walnut Street, property along the east side of the bluff the city already owns would be needed. He also said Railroad Street’s access to Walnut Street would be eliminated. Judge said a decision from Springfield should come next month on whether an overpass in Mt. Carmel remains a possibility.