Illinois commission issues grants for six rail bridge, crossing projects

The Illinois Commerce Commission has awarded nearly $7.5 million to fund six projects that advance grade crossing and rail bridge improvements.

Five of the six projects are funded by the state’s Grade Crossing Protection Fund. The program is budgeted at $42 million annually. Funding for the bridge rehabilitation project near Galesburg comes from the Multimodal Transportation Bond Fund.

Here are the projects and their grant amounts:

• $2.94 million for preliminary engineering and land activities to improve safety at the North Grand Avenue crossing in Springfield. The project will pave the way for construction of a grade separation structure at the crossing of Norfolk Southern Railway and Illinois and Midland Railroad Inc. tracks;
• $2.5 million to rehabilitate a grade separation structure near Galesburg. Knox County will perform heavy rehab work to change the existing bridge carrying County Highway 10 and Thirwell Road over tracks and a rail yard owned by BNSF Railway Co. The project's total cost is $2,778,000;
• $962,886 to replace an existing timber bridge with a three-span concrete bridge. The Massac County Highway Department will reconstruct the bridge that carries Country Club Road over Illinois Central Railroad (IC) track near Metropolis and cover remaining costs. The project's total cost is $1,203,607;
• $431,221 to install automatic warning devices at the Brink Road and Felton Road crossings in Meridian Township. BNSF will pay remaining installation costs, while Meridian Township will be responsible for all future construction and maintenance costs. The project will cost $453,919;
• $311,531 to install automatic warning devices at the 750N crossing of IC track near Guthrie. IC will pay  remaining and future costs. The project will cost $327,927; and
• $303,763 to install automatic warning devices at the Wasson Road crossing near Eldorado. IC, which owns the track, will pay remaining installation costs, while Saline County will pay for maintaining solar-powered advance warning signs. The project will cost $319,751.