A pedestrian bridge promised to the Joppa community in exchange for closing its rail crossing on Linfield Road is close to construction, and the Dallas City Council is set to approve the railroad agreement it needs on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The consent agenda item would authorize a public pedestrian overpass agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for the Joppa Community Pedestrian Bridge, which will carry walkers and cyclists over the railroad's Dallas Yard Rail Line next to Linfield Road. The city estimates it will pay Union Pacific $523,326 for construction and project management work inside the railroad's right-of-way, and the city would cover any cost overruns.
The money comes from the Transportation Special Projects Fund, spread over fiscal 2027, fiscal 2028 and later years.
A trade worked out with residents
The rail yard is still active and busier than before, and the railroad needs the street-level crossing at Linfield Road closed for good, according to the agenda information sheet. Union Pacific, the city, the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Joppa residents have been working on it since 2015.
Residents agreed to back the closure in return for three things: an accessible pedestrian bridge built alongside the existing vehicle bridge, changes to the Carbondale Street ramps at Loop 12 (Great Trinity Forest Way), and landscaping along Carbondale Street.
The council has taken several steps on the project already. In 2021 it accepted federal air quality and congestion grant money through TxDOT to pay for the improvements, along with $1 million from Union Pacific, half for the pedestrian bridge and half for landscaping in the railroad right-of-way. The federal grant for the bridge and landscaping portion alone was $3.43 million.
In April 2022 the council hired Criado & Associates to design the bridge, the Carbondale landscaping and the intersection work at Loop 12.
