The new bypass allowed the following to happen:
By building the rail bypass first the following occured
With the removal of the old line from the middle of the horseshoe in the middle of town south to the new connection the Highway 160 Bypass crossed the old right of way at grade instead of a costly overhead bridge with large approach fills. In town the south Chestnut crossing was removed with the removal of the line, as was the south Linden Crossing. The north Linden Crossing sees little rail traffic, very sporatic switching moves. This opened Linden to more cross town traffic, as in the past the passage of a train cut the town in half in two places on Linden. The reduction of noise from the passage of trains was totally removed. Removal of the tracks south of the middle of the horseshoe also opened that area up.
As far as rail operations are concerned the downtown horseshoe restriced speed to 10mph of ear splitting squeal. The curve was very prone to string-lining. Along with the new bypass the removal of the BN yard and depot to the north side of town allowed faster train operations and crew changes with out cutting the city of Trinidad in half. Even with directional running the train numbers would have left the center of the city cut by train movements for long periods of time.
The new highway bypass allowed traffic to bypass the center of Historic Downtown Trinidad. Highway traffic moving east or west to Highway 350 and 160 no longer has to exit I-25 and make a series of tight turns to transit the business district. With the opening of the United States Army's Pinion Canyon Training Site north east of Trinidad the possibility of numerous military convoys passing through the middle of the city brought outcries from the community. Although rail transportation was and is prefered to Pinion Canyon, some movement of military equipement uses the bypass.
Trinidad as a community is undergoing a great deal of change. The historic centers of employment, coal mining, railroading, farming and ranching are being displaced by recreation, summer homes and other forms of energy development. Removal of the rail line and addition of new road routes is helping to change the communities immage. At the current time the I-25 bridges across the town are being rebuilt.

Larry Green