Rockland Road Railroad Overpass Presents an Expansive and Locally Frugal Alternative to Past Blockage Issues

The Royal Examiner was recently alerted to the opening of the Rockland Road railroad overpass by a friend, contributor, and Rockland Road resident, Malcolm Barr Sr. Barr informed us that he believed the opening was significantly ahead of schedule. A brief review at the County level confirmed that the July 11, 2025, opening was five months ahead of schedule.

Citing the fairly extensive nature of the project, pictured below, Barr wondered at the total cost to Warren County taxpayers for a project he recalled being forecast to cost in the millions of dollars. With the help of County staff, we accessed past meeting agenda summaries and resultant County Resolutions in support of the project. Those documents cited estimated costs and how those costs would be distributed among involved parties.

A perspective on the new Rockland Road Railroad overpass looking north with DuPont framed in the background above the tracks and under the overpass. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Prominent in our accessed county government materials was a staff meeting agenda item, “Explanation & Summary,” dating back to a March 22, 2022, County Board of Supervisors meeting. The summary of meeting “Item B” — “Norfolk Southern Railway Grade Separated Bridge Overpass” at Rockland Road addresses not only the costs and payment responsibilities but also the reasoning behind the project. We will start our exploration of that staff summary with its final paragraph addressing costs and County responsibilities in the project:

“The preliminary plans for a grade-separated crossing were presented at a public hearing held by VDOT on June 21, 2021. The BOS packets for approval of the resolutions also included drawings showing that right-of-way would be needed on the County’s Rockland Park property for the project. That right-of-way is equal to approximately 1.515 acres. Currently, VDOT is requesting that the right-of-way be donated by the County for this project. This would be the County’s contribution to the project (emphasis added). VDOT representatives have informed staff that the project’s estimated cost is approximately $27 million. The federal grant will cover $15.5 million, and VDOT is responsible for the remaining funding. Construction is proposed to start in late 2023.”

So, good news for county taxpayers — the only direct County contribution to the project appears to be the “donated” 1.5-acre right of way from Rockland Park. And local residents would appear to be seeing a return, if perhaps indirect, on their federal tax dollars. As to that federal grant, this explanation was added:

“In December 2018, the Virginia Inland Port was awarded $15.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant to help ease traffic in and out of the (Virginia Inland) port as well as decrease traffic around the port. The grant will establish three new loading tracks, extend the current rail tracks, purchase two new carriers, and build a new highway bridge grade separation.”

So, it would seem the project was seen as a benefit to, not only Rockland residents often held up at the tracks by trains lined up for entry to the Virginia Inland Port on the county’s northside, but also the state and regional economy with the parcel transfer additions added to facilitate quicker pick up and depositing of goods earmarked for processing regionally through the Inland Port.

The March 2022 county supervisors’ agenda packet also addressed the variety of northside business and residential developments to benefit from the addition of the railroad overpass:

“The Board has worked with VDOT and the Virginia Inland Port over the years to address the issues stemming from the railroad being blocked. Rockland Road serves as the primary means of access for several industries, Rockland Park, several golf courses, and the Rockland community, which includes the village and dozens of residential subdivisions.”

So, there you have it, not-being-held-up-at-the-Rockland-Road-train-track fans, your costs were mitigated by Federal and State cooperation, the latter primarily, it would seem, VDOT, on a project that improves not only residential and emergency services access, but also Virginia Inland Port efficiency, aiding the State and Regional economies.

And on that happy note, we are on our way back to town without worry over a holdup by northside commercial railroad traffic.