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Union Pacific Railroad, the city of Harlingen and Cameron County, Texas, recently announced plans to reduce grade crossing blockages by streamlining operations at the Class I’s downtown Harlingen yard.

Through a public-private partnership, UP will transfer property to the city and add eight sorting tracks at an Olmito yard so rail switching operations can be transferred from Harlingen. The $17 million project will be funded by the city, county and Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority.

UP also will relinquish the downtown yard’s repair facility and several tracks, and the city will obtain a 1.6-mile track segment to eliminate seven crossings.

To be divided into three phases, the project will begin June 14 with the construction of replacement tracks at the Olmito yard. Phase two — which along with phase one will take about nine months to complete — calls for building a rail repair facility at Olmito yard to replace the current repair facility in Harlingen. The final phase includes the construction of a new rail connection over Commerce Street.

After the project is completed and switching operations are combined at Olmito yard, UP plans to remove the track structure and transfer the property to the city.