The city got one step closer to quiet zones becoming reality in Round Rock as the city council approved funding for Union Pacific to begin construction of the city’s Quiet Zone Project.

Union Pacific Railroad line runs through a significant amount of Round Rock, running alongside Hwy. 79 and McNeil Road. Many arterial roads create intersections with the primary roadways, and those intersections, where the railroad is present, require a train engineer to blast two long warning signals into the air with the horn to alert citizens of its presence.

While safety is the city’s first priority, it also believes that creating quiet zones is a way to make the intersections safe without subjecting residents and visitors to periodic train horns in the middle of the night.

City of Round Rock Transportation Director Gary Hudder told the city council Thursday night at its regular meeting of his excitement to present the resolution to have the mayor execute an agreement with Union Pacific to push the project forward.

Hudder explained that the Quiet Zone Project has been in the works for more than five years, and though the wheels generally turn slowly on these types of projects, things should soon be full steam ahead.

The city of Round Rock submitted plans to Union Pacific to review and provide an estimate for construction services. The railroad provided the city with its estimate earlier this year, and the city has completed its review of the estimate and funding, and Hudder presented the request to fund to the city council Thursday night, where it was unanimously approved.

As to when construction will begin and end, Hudder could only speculate. Hudder explained that Union Pacific does its own construction, and that it has not provided a timeline, but based on prior discussions, he believes that once the funding has been set, which the council did in approving the resolution, construction could begin in six to eight months.

Because quiet zones discourage the use of the train horn, except for instances in which the train engineer determines it is necessary, Hudder said construction at railroad crossings is needed to put equipment in place to ensure public safety. Crossing arms, sensors and medians will be constructed to improve the designated intersections.

The city’s plan breaks the Quiet Zone Project into two sections, one running from the intersection of Red Bud Lane and Hwy. 79 westward to Burnet Street, and another section running from Burnet Street to CR 172. Funding for the latter section was approved by the city council on Thursday.

Once construction is complete on both sections of the Quiet Zone Project, the city will submit an application to the Federal Railroad Administration to have them certified as quiet zones.