Intersections for two of the busier roads in the Columbia area will temporarily be closed as CSX makes repairs to railroad crossings, officials said.

The train track maintenance began Monday, according to Lexington County officials. And next week, the closures are scheduled to affect the Harbison Boulevard and Lake Murray Boulevard intersections with St. Andrews Road, where there are railroad crossings.

Work on the railroad crossing at the Harbison Boulevard intersection will begin Feb. 5, and proceed to the Lake Murray Boulevard crossing the following day, a Southern Commercial Development official said.

The closures are expected to last at least three days, and could take up to five days before the roads are reopened at the crossings.

The Harbison Boulevard/St. Andrews Road intersection is in Columbia, while less than 2 miles away the Lake Murray Boulevard/St. Andrews Road intersection is in Irmo.

Harbison Boulevard is a popular shopping district in Columbia, densely packed with retail stores and restaurants. Sandwiched between Harbison Boulevard and Lake Murray Boulevard, where there are also many businesses and restaurants, is Columbiana Centre, one of the largest and most popular shopping malls in the Midlands.

More than 17,000 cars per day travel down Harbison Boulevard, while about 26,000 will drive on Lake Murray Boulevard, near the intersections with St. Andrews Road, according to South Carolina Department of Transportation traffic data.

CSX is making the repairs to railroad tracks in Lexington, Richland and Newberry counties, officials said. Several other intersections have already been closed, or will be blocked as work begins on the train tracks.

For the railroad crossings that are one-way in/out with residents behind them, CSX will work to have the repairs completed in 12 hours, Lexington County officials said.

All maintenance and repairs are expected to be finished by March 8, according to Lexington County officials.

To complete these repairs, a total closure of the railroad crossings is required, officials said. A total closure means that no traffic will be allowed to cross the track until the work is complete, while signs and detours will be implemented to reroute traffic around the closures.

All work dates are subject to change, and drivers should anticipate extended travel times and delays.

“Please avoid the closure areas if at all possible,” Lexington County officials said.