During the special Town Council meeting on November 9, 2020, Argyle Town Council received a presentation on establishing a railroad Quiet Zone throughout the Town of Argyle.
In 2017, the Town hired the engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newman, Inc. (LAN), to determine feasibility for the Town to institute a Quiet Zone for all five railroad crossings in the Town. Most of the railroad crossings require physical safety improvements to compensate for the loss of the train horn as a warning device. LAN has determined that it is feasible for the Town, in conjunction with TxDOT and the US 377 widening project, to improve all five crossings to qualify for the Quiet Zone.
The improvements to these five crossings could have cost the Town up to $5 million in construction costs. However, making those improvements during the US 377 widening project is a more cost-effective alternative, with an estimated construction cost of less than $50,000 at this time.
Argyle Town Council will authorize LAN to file a Notice of Intent with the Federal Railroad Administration to establish the Quiet Zone. This phase of the project should take up to nine (9) months. The final phase to establish the Quiet Zone is the construction of the improvements. Because those improvements will be tied to the US 377 widening project, they will not be completed until 2024 or later.