It is a pleasure to see the joint City of Washington and Washington Park efforts with NCDOT and Carolina Coastal RR (CCRR) pay off with the newly installed RR crossing — a new smooth, sophisticated, extensive, and expensive project. The complete rebuild of the CCRR rail crossing on Third Street/River Road near Havens Gardens is terrific … literally better than new!

While it would seem to be a simple matter for two towns to ask DOT to fix a crossing, it is more complicated than that. The CCRR and NCDOT have to jointly decide first, the type of crossing to be built; secondly, budget for the project; and lastly, schedule the construction of the project. Both organizations are large and have their own internal capital investment protocols and procedures.

Thanks go to both municipalities elected officials and staff, to NCDOT and CCRR staff, and specifically to: Brian Alligood, city manager, Washington; Woody Jarvis, NCDOT, Washington; Dwayne Alligood, NCDOT regional engineer office, Greenville; Paul Worley, NCDOT rail division director; and Virgil Holman, Carolina Coastal RR general manager.

I am sure that Mac Hodges, City of Washington mayor, would agree with me when I say “Good job all of you!”

Tom Richter is the mayor of Washington Park.