The railroad crossing on C Street in east Poplar Bluff will temporarily close to all traffic Monday, when improvements to the road begin.
The closure is expected to last about a month, according to city planner Dennis Avery.
Work on the south side of the crossing will include widening the turning radius at intersections for large vehicle traffic. Dips in the Bartlett Street intersection to the north of the crossing are also going to be improved.
Union Pacific Railroad has plans to permanently close the B Street crossing, but this will remain open during the work, Avery said. It may be 2018 before the railroad closes the second crossing, he said.
The two crossings provide primary access to 11 streets on the southside of the railroad tracks.
Union Pacific told the city early this year they would permanently close one of the crossings.
C Street is the widest and provides the best visibility and access from the highway, Avery told the city council in March.
The city has worked with the Missouri Department of Transportation to acquire funding for this work. The council has awarded the contract to RLP Construction of Poplar Bluff, the low bidder, at a cost of $208,600.
The B Street closure is part of a statewide plan by MoDOT and the railroad to reduce crossings and improve safety.
The lower east side of Poplar Bluff is bordered to the north by railroad tracks, the west by the Black River and by farmland in other directions.
In addition to the two street crossing, there is also one narrow railroad underpass at F Street.
Only one of the city's fire trucks is small enough to fit through the F Street crossing, fire chief Ralph Stucker has said. All other fire department traffic has to cross at B or C street.
The only other access requires a six-mile loop along gravel county roads. Wet or icy roads can cause further delay when using the gravel roads, according to Stucker.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is paying approximately $150,000 of costs, with another $47,000 from Union Pacific. The city will contribute about $10,000 of in kind labor.
Union Pacific may do further work on the C Street signals after construction is finished, the city has said.