Belleville Ontario - Belleville may soon find itself in a fight with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) over funding the rehabilitation of the Herchimer Avenue rail crossing.
 
The city plans to reconstruct Herchimer Avenue from Dundas Street to the Bayshore, which will include a multi-purpose trail.
 
The hitch is that CP is not willing to pay for the rail crossing section.
 
After considering staff options which would delay the work during negotiations, city council decided Monday night to go with an option proposed by Councillor Mitch Panciuk.
 
Construction will go ahead on both sides of the track while the city takes its funding issue with CP to the Canada Transportation Agency.
 
It could cost the city $338,000.
 
Director of Engineering Rod Bovay says the city has won its cases before the agency in the past.
 
There are a number of rail crossings throughout the city.
 
Bovay said it would take about eight months to get the costs paid if the city won the case.
 
Mayor Taso Christopher said, "This could be handcuffing future councils for years if this doesn't go our way. It's very unfortunate that CP is not being a good corporate partner on this venture. CP is dragging their feet on this.
 
Phase one of the work is scheduled to go ahead this year.
 
Mary Thomas.