When Yvette Hunt hears the familiar rumble of a train passing by her Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood, her senses are heightened. As a neighborhood street captain with a deep connection to the community where she grew up, Hunt is worried about the deteriorating overpass that freight trains cross every day. Her neighbors walk underneath it on their way to work, school or the corner store. But getting officials to make repairs there has been a years-long battle.
“Our safety and health are paramount, and after what happened in East Palestine, this bridge makes me nervous,” Hunt said, referring to the 2023 train derailment.
The federal agency in charge of railroad oversight and the railroad company say no immediate repairs are needed for the overpass in Hunt’s neighborhood. This follows inspections in 2023 and 2026. But a Case Western Reserve University professor, who looked at photos of the overpass and copies of the inspection reports, said repairs to the concrete should be made soon, especially considering Cleveland’s constantly shifting weather patterns…