BELLE RIVE — The Village of Belle Rive has filed a lawsuit against Illinois Central Railroad Company alleging that the Railroad breached the terms of a 1925 contract where the Railroad agreed to construct 3 bridges in the Village and “thereafter maintain such bridges.”

Illinois Central does business under the name CN and it is owned by Canadian National Railway Co.

The Railroad constructed the bridges built out of timber and over time, the wood has deteriorated and 3 bridges have become impassable for vehicles to safely travel over.

The bridges are closed to all traffic and the deep valley through the Village separates the east side from the west side.

According to Village President, Kim McCormick, for several years the Village has asked Illinois Central Railroad Company to maintain the bridges so residents can get from one side of town to the other, but the Railroad has failed to act.

McCormick stated, “We have been trying to work out an agreement with the Railroad.  We even met with representatives of the Railroad and other State officials last summer, but now the Railroad won’t return our calls or respond to our settlement proposals.

They left us no choice but to sue.” According to the Complaint, in 2016, Illinois Central hired an engineering company to determine the projected costs for building the 3 bridges.

Belle Rive has requested that the Railroad pay it the sum of $3,600,000 so the Village can build the bridges itself.