Railroad quiet zones to cost city $1.2M

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Shhhhhhhhhh. South Austin residents could soon have a little peace and quiet. Train horns could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a developing agreement between the city and Union Pacific Railroad .

On Thursday, City Council voted to authorize negotiation of an agreement with UPRR to begin construction of the project. Funding will come from a previous bond package.

The quiet zone project has stretched over the last several years. In November 2010, the city officially informed the Federal Railroad Administration it had plans to move forward on five railroad crossings: Matthews Lane, West Stassney Lane, Banister Lane, West Oltorf Street and West Mary Street.

View a map of the crossings here.

City officials have been waiting for months on engineering and cost estimates from UPRR. After local analysis, that amount is estimated at $1.2 million.

The zones will require railroad control devices and improvements to lower the risk of traffic crossing the tracks. Only then will trains be able to silence their horns, though conductors will have discretion to sound them in emergencies.

The bidding process for the job is expected to take from six to 12 months, and construction would then take approximately 12 to 14 months.