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The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division recently completed improvements at three Norfolk Southern Railway grade crossings.

The division revised crossing signals and gates, including four-quadrant gates, at a crossing in Lowell as part of a $301,942 project, of which 80 percent was covered by federal funds and the remainder, by NS. Thirty-four freight and Amtrak trains use the crossing daily, operating at a maximum speed of 79 mph.

The division also revised crossing signals and gates at a crossing in Kings Mountain as part of a $294,353 project, which similarly was funded 80 percent federal/20 percent NS dollars. Thirty-two freight and Amtrak trains use the crossing daily, also operating at a maximum speed of 79 mph.

Finally, the division installed crossing signals at a crossing in the town of Morehead City as part of a $224,809 project, of which 90 percent was covered by federal funds and 10 percent, by state dollars. Two freight trains use the crossing daily, operating at a maximum speed of 15 mph. 
 
The projects are part of a statewide program aimed at enhancing public crossing safety by adding or improving signals and gates. Automatic warning devices now are in place at more than 2,400 of North Carolina’s 4,100-plus public crossings.