Rail projects under review in Missouri, Ohio

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) held a public meeting in Aurora yesterday to review the proposed Aurora Railroad Crossing Improvement Project.

MoDOT has partnered with BNSF Railway Co. and the Missouri Northern Arkansas Railroad to improve rail safety in the city. The proposed project calls for building an overpass at Route 39, closing several grade crossings and creating quiet zones.

The first phase focuses on establishing quiet zones at several BNSF crossings. Planned improvements might get underway in 2018.

Meanwhile, Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a final list of major transportation construction projects throughout the state at a meeting to be held at the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) central office in Columbus.

The draft list of 2015-18 projects include grade separations in Butler and Lima, an extension of CSX Transportation's line to Dayton Airport, a new rail bridge in Hamilton, and the relocation of CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway bridges in Cuyahoga.

Established in 1997, the nine-member TRAC assists in developing a project selection process for ODOT's largest investments. The council also approves major projects for funding.