Drivers can again use the intersection of Crystal Falls Parkway and US 183 in Leander after city engineers reopened the junction at 12:30 p.m. July 19.

The intersection had been closed since May 3, forcing drivers to detour by way of Leander and Sonny drives. City Engineer Wayne Watts said the reopening was delayed because of railroad crossing work that involved the installation of special equipment and oversight by the Federal Railroad Administration.

In mid-July the city had to replace a hired subcontractor who did not install crossing equipment according to schedule, Watts said.

During the first week after reopening, the intersection was missing the automatic railroad crossing gates that detect and block cars attempting to cross the tracks at the wrong time, he said. That meant the quiet zone—the policy that prevents a train from blowing its horn in residential areas—needed to be temporarily removed.

By July 30 the gates were reinstalled and the train quiet zone was restored, Watts said.

The improved intersection has dedicated center and right-turn lanes and an optional left-turn lane on westbound Crystal Falls Parkway.