You can blame winter for the malfunctioning railroad crossing arms and signals in downtown Appleton this week. Twice the crossing at College Avenue, Memorial and Richmond has gone haywire–forcing traffic to be delayed or detoured. City Traffic Engineer Eric Lom says road salt accumulates in railroad crossings and causes the electrical system to malfunction.
Lom adds that washing out that salt can’t be done when it is this cold. The city is talking with Canadian National about replacing that crossing for a long-term solution.
