The Train Trench is Getting a Lid

Reno's ReTRAC Project, known locally as the train trench, is moving to the next phase. Construction has begun to cover part of the trench where is passes through the heart of downtown Reno, between Virginia and West Streets. The resulting plaza will create a pedestrian zone suitable for outdoor events and just plain relaxing. It transforms what was a rather grungy area along the railroad right-of-way during its decades of running through town at street level.

The ReTRAC Project is the result of many years of planning. The need had been recognized since at least 1942, but previous proposals had always been stymied for various reasons, including the cost. This time, everyone involved stepped up in a cooperative manner to make it happen. After three years of a serious construction project in the middle of the city, the trench was done. I was here in December, 2005, when trains began rolling through the trench on a regular schedule. The transformation to the whole atmosphere downtown has been truly amazing, and I believe it has accelerated the redevelopment work that is dramatically transforming Reno. I mean, what can you do when everything in the middle of your city has to stop a couple of dozen times a day while lengthy freight trains crawl through at a few miles per hour? And don't forget the deafening whistle blasts required at each of the eleven street crossings the trench eliminated.

Of course, there is a lot more to the story, like all the archaeological treasures unearthed during the digging. Some of these are on display in the downtown Reno Amtrak Station at 135 E. Commercial Row. To learn more about the project, you can obtain a publication titled ReTRAC, An Historical Achievement at Reno City Hall, 1 East First Street. To see artist renditions of how the new train trench cover will appear, visit the ReTRAC Train Trench Cover web page on Downtown Makeover.com.