Busy railroad crossing facing nightly closures this week in Puyallup

Expect street closures near the intersection of Shaw Road East and Pioneer Way East in Puyallup this week as crews work overnight to restore a railroad crossing.

Crews from Meeker Southern Railroad, which owns the crossing and is responsible for its maintenance, will close the roads from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Sunday, March 16. They anticipate completing the work by Friday, March 21, meaning things will be back to normal for any super-early Saturday errands.

The City of Puyallup cautioned residents to avoid the area late at night this week, as some lanes will be closed on both Pioneer Way and Shaw Road.

Specifically, rail crews will be restoring the surface on the north side of the intersection, where Shaw splits briefly into separate north and south lanes to accommodate the tracks.

Other rail crossings in the Puyallup area have been similarly restored in recent years, including at West Stewart Ave and North Meridian and in December at 15th Street SE. Crews from Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway own those tracks.

In the city’s Facebook post about the March 16-21 closure at Shaw and Pioneer, a few commenters were pleased to see the incoming fix, noting dips and bumps. Others pointed to additional crossings that could use attention, including at 3rd Avenue and Main Street.