EAST CHICAGO | Construction of the new overpass across a busy set of railroad tracks through the center of the city will begin as soon as the city pays some fees to the railroad.

Plans call for four lanes of Railroad Avenue traffic to soar over the CSX Railroad tracks just north of Chicago Avenue, which would be the only nongrade crossing of the double line anywhere in East Chicago or Hammond.

The Board of Public Works and Safety last week approved paying $7,900 to CSX for permission to run new water and sewer lines through easements owned by the company.

The board also agreed to pay $5,500 to CSX for the wages of railroad personnel required by federal law to be on-scene during the construction work.

City Engineer Ernest Jones said as soon as the fees are paid and the easement agreement is accepted, work can begin on relocating the water and sewer lines -- a preliminary step he said could begin by the end of the month.

Pending approval from the Indiana Department of Transportation, construction of the overpass could begin in late spring or early summer, Jones said, and take about 12 months to complete.

East Chicago is being assisted with the estimated $9 million cost of the project by a $1 million legal settlement from CSX over years of blocked streets, $6.5 million in federal highway funding and other transportation grants.