Updates on crossing projects in California, New York and Montana

The Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority (ACE) is making significant progress in completing its $1.7 billion program involving the construction of 22 grade separations and completion of safety improvements at 39 grade crossings.

Within the past five months, ACE has held groundbreaking ceremonies for three major grade separations in the San Gabriel Valley, said ACE Chairwoman Norma Macias, mayor pro tem of El Monte, Calif., in the authority's latest newsletter.

"ACE is busy not only with construction but also with designing and acquiring property for another five grade separation projects that will be ready for construction in the future, she said. "Starting design of a sixth project awaits concurrence by Union Pacific Railroad in the proposed grade separation."

Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) plans to hold a public hearing May 16 regarding a request by CSX Transportation to alter three public crossings in Coxsackie and New Baltimore.
 
CSX is proposing to add a second track adjacent to an existing track, which will require alterations to the three crossings. The second track would provide the Class I additional capacity to handle more trains and support the growth of intermodal, crude oil, automotive and other traffic.
 
The hearing will enable the department to determine whether the crossing alterations are in the public interest, NYSDOT officials said in a meeting announcement.

In the West, the Montana Department of Transportation is seeking public comments on a proposal to upgrade a crossing signal in Decker.

Tentatively slated to begin in fall, the project calls for replacing the existing signal system with the latest crossing signal technology, hardware and gates.

The work will be completed in conjunction with BNSF Railway Co. The department will provide funding for the signal replacement and upgrade, and BNSF will perform the work.