15th street railroad crossing permanently closed as Dubuque starts to create a quiet zone [Video]

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – The East 15th Street railroad crossing in Dubuque is permanently closed as the city works to make its downtown area quieter.

In a release, the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Railroad (CPKC) notified the City of Dubuque it would close the crossing on Wednesday, November 17, stating drivers should seek alternative routes.

It comes as the area braces for a surge in train activity. Following a railroad merger, the city expects traffic to double from 9 trains per day to 18 trains a day by 2027.

The closure is Dubuque’s first step toward earning a railroad quiet zone federal designation for a series of crossings where trains don’t need to blow its horns.

Dubuque City Councilmember Danny Sprank called the passing train noise a “quality of life issue.”

“Folks do love the noise, but there’s a lot of folks who don’t. There’s a reason that one …