METAIRIE, La. — Getting stuck at a railroad crossing is frustrating, but it’s even more frustrating when there’s not even a train on the tracks.
That’s what’s been happening on Metairie Road for over a week, and residents are getting tired of it.
Since last Thursday, the safety bars at the heavily trafficked railroad crossing have been malfunctioning. They go up, then back down sporadically, causing quite the traffic jam.
According to Jefferson Parish Councilwoman at Large Jennifer Van Vrancken, Norfolk Southern crews have been working to identify the problem since last week.
“Last Thursday they fixed one part that was malfunctioning,” Jefferson Parish Councilwoman at Large Jennifer Van Vrancken said. “Yesterday, it seems like they fixed another part that was malfunctioning, then I’m not sure what it is today.”
WWL Louisiana tried to reach out to Norfolk Southern for answers, but we didn’t hear back from them.
On Friday afternoon, traffic appeared to be moving smoothly, but crews were still on the tracks.
“You know, mechanical stuff breaks, so sometimes you do have to identify what it is and fix it,” Van Vrancken said.
Until the problem is solved, Van Vrancken reminds drivers how dangerous driving around the safety bars can be.
“You never know when there is a train coming, so go another way and don’t risk it,” Van Vrancken said.
If you’re trying to decide which route to take, you can access a live feed of the railroad crossing on the Move Metairie Tracking App.
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