Crossing projects on tap in Ohio; grade separation set in California

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio last week approved four grade crossing improvement projects.

Norfolk Southern Railway will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at the Bayard Road/Township Road 703 and Haiti Road/Township Road 768 crossings in Columbiana County, and the County Road 98/Seifert Lewis Road crossing in Trumbull County.

All work must be completed by Sept. 11, 2014. Funding for the upgrades will be covered by federal dollars.

In addition, the Northern Ohio & Western Railway L.L.C. will upgrade incandescent lights to 12-inch LED flashing lights at the Stone Bridge crossing in Gibsonburg. Work must be completed by Dec. 11, 2014.

Meanwhile, the city of Coachella, Calif., has awarded a $21 million contract to Granite Construction Inc. to construct a grade separation.

The new bridge will span a Union Pacific Railroad line and Highway 111 in Riverside County. The work also includes widening surrounding roads, relocating major utilities, completing drainage work, and installing retaining walls and new traffic signals.

Construction is scheduled to begin in January and conclude by June 2015.