Drivers in Elkhart have a new way to cross a busy railroad corridor without waiting for trains.
The Sunnyside Avenue overpass opened Monday, allowing traffic to pass above the rail line that runs parallel to U.S. 33. With the bridge now open, the former Sunnyside railroad crossing has closed.
The project was led by Elkhart County and is intended to reduce delays caused by frequent train traffic along the corridor.
Attention is now turning to another planned railroad overpass in the city.
The Hively Avenue overpass project was expected to break ground last year but was delayed.
Alex Otto, the city of Elkhart’s director of communications, said the delay followed federal funding freezes that paused projects across the country.
“The short answer is yes, the Hively overpass was initially delayed,” Otto said. “It was supposed to break ground last year, but there was federal funding freezes that took place … and they ended up freezing projects for like six months.”
Otto said most of the funding needed for the project has now been secured through a combination of city, state and federal sources.
“Yes, you will see progress start to be made on that this year, and there actually still was progress being made on it last year,” Otto said.
City officials say some preliminary work has already taken place, including relocating utilities and preparing the site for future construction.
