BRANDON, Fla — We're Driving Tampa Bay Forward with an issue that residents in Hillsborough County brought to us looking for answers.
Hillsborough residents say that deteriorating train tracks on Limona Road in Brandon are creating unsafe driving conditions and damaging cars as the wood rots and the bolts loosen.
It’s a concern for people like Dennis Miller, who travels on this road several times a week.
"If you go over it quickly, you think the bottom of your car is coming out... Traffic slows down. As a matter of fact, it’s a little dangerous because you’re not expecting someone that’s crossing the track to actually come to a stop and many people do just so they can roll slower over the tracks," Dennis Miller explained.
Car after car jolted across the damaged tracks, even at slow speed.
"I have gotten to where I’m at zero miles an hour. Zero. To go over it," Nancy Isaac, another driver, said.
Tahmid Chowdhury works at Quick Pick. He said it's sending his business off the rails.
"Given the hectic situation of the road, people don’t really come to this store a lot. So it really does affect business," Chowdhury said.
In the spring, the area was closed off while CSX worked to fix these issues, but the railroad company told me an equipment failure prevented the repairs.
"My wife and I just together probably called CSX four or five times. Get the same answer. We'll take the location; thanks for calling. Nothing happens," Miller added.
On Friday, we asked Hillsborough County about these worsening conditions and in just 24 hours, CSX made plans to begin repairs here starting on Monday, which will take about five days to repair.
A huge relief for Miller and his fellow drivers that rely on this crossing.
