Arlington drivers will have an additional rail crossing for use during the the Union Pacific Rail Renewal track project. On Thursday, January 17 Bowen Road will close for a few hours instead of a few days.

"Union Pacific heard our concerns. Arlington is a bit unique because we have so many crossings in such a short length,' Keith Melton, Director of Public Works and Transportation announced at Monday's public meeting. "They were willing to do what they could to help minimize the impact of this project, so they've come up with an alternative to keep Bowen Road open, except for that short period of time.'

The track at Bowen Road was originally scheduled to be replaced as part of the renewal. It will be replaced at a later date which has yet to be determined by the UP.

The remainder of the at-grade crossings in Arlington will close as expected during the rail project. (Click here to see the full schedule.)

Some residents at the public meeting had questions about traffic congestion and police presence during the eight-day project. According to Melton, traffic management signals will be adjusted to mitigate any congestion issues that may arise. Also, police officers are going to be strategically placed to help manage traffic flow.

In addition to the noise caused by the Union Pacific equipment, residents were told to expect to hear the horns of passenger and freight trains passing through the city.

"We will continue to use the track which isn't being renewed but the trains will move a little more slowly, around 40 mph when they move through on the south track,' said Clint Schelbitzki, Union Pacific Public Affairs Director.

"Because of the men we have working on the north track, the engineers will have to blow the horns, two short times as they approach. They'll do this even in the quiet zones during the project.'

Be sure to visit MyArlingtonTx.com tomorrow for an update on alternate routes you can access during this eight-day project.