Ulao Road railroad crossing to close next week for repairs

The Ulao Road/Highway Q Union Pacific rail crossing is scheduled to be closed from 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27, through 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, while state-ordered repair work is being completed. 

Local officials suggest Falls Road be used as a detour.

Last month, the state Office of the Commissioner of Railroads ordered the Union Pacific Railroad to repair the crossing, which forms the border between the village and town of Grafton.

That order followed a hearing in May that was the result of a complaint filed in December 2024 by Ozaukee County after the railroad did not respond to a resolution filed in October by the County Board. 

By state statute, railroad companies must repave and repair the area between their tracks and the area within four feet of either side of the outside rails at a crossing. A railroad has 30 days to respond to the resolution.

Local residents and Ozaukee County Highway Commissioner Jon Edgren provided testimony and evidence for the hearing, some of it going back two years. 

In its ruling the OCR said “the crossing does not function as designed with the subgrade and asphalt approaches beyond their useful service life.

“The county’s evidence clearly and convincingly demonstrates that the crossing is in very poor condition for highway travel” and shows “sunken and loose concrete panels” at the westbound approach with large gaps between the panels, the ruling stated.

The OCR ordered that Union Pacific repair the mainline crossing at-grade by Nov. 30 and “implement a traffic control plan as determined by Ozaukee County to repair the crossing with at least two weeks notice to the county before starting work.”