Excelsior Springs, Mo. — Italian Way has been closed for more than two weeks as railroad crews work to relevel the railroad crossing before a planned mill and overlay project, and residents are growing frustrated as other nearby routes remain blocked by ongoing construction.
The closure is part of a larger effort to fix what Birdsong described as a “spongy” section at the north end of the crossing, where tracks had sunk three to four inches. Railroad crews are using a large vibrating machine to lift and stabilize the tracks before the city replaces the pavement on either side.
Birdsong said the project has faced multiple setbacks. Originally planned for late July, the work has been delayed four times due to equipment issues, weather, and railroad scheduling. “I don’t want to put a date out anymore,” Birdsong said, noting that the timing depends entirely on when railroad crews return to finish installing concrete panels over the tracks.
Once the panels are in place, city crews will need one to two days to pour concrete and allow it to cure before reopening the road, but only briefly. The next phase will bring in contractors to grind down the old asphalt and resurface the roadway, a process expected to take about five days. That work will be done under traffic with one lane open at a time.
Italian Way’s extended closure comes as nearby Kennedy and Salem avenues are also shut down for the Dry Fork Greenway project, leaving many residents and drivers feeling hemmed in. Birdsong acknowledged the inconvenience but said the railroad crossing work had to happen before the overlay. “We definitely don’t want to overlay this thing and then have them come in a month later and raise the tracks up,” he said.
If the railroad returns this week, Birdsong estimates all work on Italian Way, including milling, paving, and striping, could be completed within two weeks. Until then, he says, “It’s up to when the railroad comes, when we can get this project wrapped up.”
Update 8.14.25 at 9:45am: The RR is complete with their repair at Italian Way. The city will be replacing the concrete paving around the tracks today and tomorrow. The contractor doing the paving work will be starting either tomorrow or Monday on the milling with asphalt to be laid next week. The road is expected to be open by Friday 8-22 unless there are weather delays.
If you appreciate the value our local journalism brings to the community, please consider making a recurring contribution to the Excelsior Citizen!
