A Third Main Track on the Hill
2007-05-15
In 2006, BNSF applied to the Army Corps of Engineers and the County of San Bernardino for permission to build a third main line from Summit (MP 55.7) to Keenbrook (MP 69.5). The Preliminary EIR was published in November of 2006 and the Final EIR was published in March of 2007. Both of these documents are available here. These are fascinating documents with numerous maps and photographs. Section 3.5.1.1.2.1 has a discussion of Train Watching as a Land Use in the Cajon Pass. It specifies ten primary train watching sites within the project area. Numerous letters in Appendix C of the Final EIR address the subject of train watching and the need for continued access to these locations. The Response to Comments Matrix in Appendix C9 addresses these issues and assures the respondants that the primary access routes will remain open during and after construction. These named routes are:
- 3N48 (Parker Ranch Road): Primary access to the MP 58/58X area and Hill 582 [Note: as of 2008-03-08, the Parker Ranch Road ends at MP58X as the grade crossing there has been removed];
- 3N21 (Baldy Mesa Road): Access to the Gish & Dell areas on the South and Alray on the North [Note: as of 2008-03-08, the Baldy Mesa Road is closed to the public at Hwy 138] [Note: As of 2008-07-13, the Baldy Mesa Road is once again open];
- 3N45 (Old Hesperia Road): Access to the area around MP 57 where the tracks split; and
- 3N53 and 2N89: Public Roads along the North side of the UP (old SP) track.
Construction Under Way
2007-09-03
As of Labor Day (September 3) 2007, construction on the third main track is well under way. The prime contractor is Ames Construction Inc. From New Keenbrook to Summit, you are likely to encounter one or more of their red trucks with the Running A logo and any number of their highly competent construction personnel. The San Bernardino County Fire Department has prepared a slide presentation on the construction.