Tupelo had two separate railroad lines traversing through its downtown area: the BNSF rail and the KCS rail. The BNSF rail bisects the Crosstown intersection, the city’s busiest intersection, and separates much of the town from the local hospital. As a result, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) developed a project to study a relocation of the tracks.
In order to reduce traffic congestion and promote business development in this area, MDOT contracted with a project team, which included ABMB. The team evaluated the feasibility of relocating the railroad and conducted a planning and environmental study to identify the best location for the relocated railroad in or around Tupelo. Upon the completion of this study, an environmental document was issued recommending a preferred alternative location of the railroad, likely to be an elevated track through town. This project was one of many in which ABMB was able to provide the best possible alternative to an area’s complicated transportation issues.