Ohio, Washington regulators OK grade crossing safety upgrades

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) earlier this week approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission directing Norfolk Southern Railway, Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Co. (W&LE) and CSX to upgrade four crossings in three counties.

NS will install lights and gates at the County Road 84 crossing in Hancock County by April 4, 2021.

W&LE will upgrade and replace existing lights and gates at the Gilchrist Road crossing in Akron by Sept. 4, 2020.

Meanwhile, CSX will install lights and gates and make the approach less steep at the Railroad Street crossing in Milton Center; and close the South Street crossing to vehicles and pedestrians in Milton Center by Dec. 4, 2020.

Federal funding will be provided for the upgrades, although W&LE will share funding responsibility for the Gilchrist Road project, PUCO officials said in a press release.

Meanwhile, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved more than $15,000 in grant funding for the Northwest Railway Museum to improve two crossings in North Bend and Snoqualmie.

The UTC approved a Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) grant of $5,230 to replace signal control hardware at the State Route 202 crossing, also known as Bendigo Boulevard.

The commission also approved a $10,603 GCPF grant to replace the signal control hardware and upgrade the existing warning lights to LEDs at the Snoqualmie Parkway crossing.

The upgrades must be completed by June 30, 2020.