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Last week, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved construction authorizations from the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) directing several railroads to upgrade various grade crossings.

Norfolk Southern Railway will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at a crossing in Seneca County. The Class I must complete the work by Aug. 4, 2011. NS also must install flashing lights and roadway gates at crossings in Ashland and Erie counties by July 14, 2011.

PUCO also directed CSX Transportation to install flashing lights at a crossing in Ansonia. Funding for the project — which must be completed by July 14, 2011 — will be shared by the PUCO, ORDC and CSXT.

In addition, PUCO directed the Youngstown & Austintown Railroad and Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Co. (W&LE) to install mast-mounted flashing lights, cantilevered flashing lights or roadway gates at crossings in Mahoning and Stark counties; and Ohi-Rail Corp. to close one crossing and reconstruct/relocate flashing lights at one crossing in Minerva. To be federally funded, the projects must be completed by late July or early August 2011.

Finally, PUCO directed CSXT, NS, W&LE and the Indiana & Ohio Railway to install flashing lights and roadway gates at six crossings in Auglaize, Champaign, Fayette, Logan, Ross and Wayne counties. The federally funded work must be done by July 14, 2011.

Meanwhile, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved funding last week to boost safety at 165 crossings statewide.

The commission will provide $35,250 from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund (GCPF) to BNSF Railway Co. to replace or install yield or stop signs, wood posts with retro-reflective tape, retro-reflective cross-buck signs and emergency notification signs at various crossings by June 2011. BNSF is contributing $67,950 toward project costs.

The UTC also will provide $6,000 from the GCPF to Pend Oreille Valley Railroad to make similar improvements at 24 crossings by year’s end.