Ohio panel OKs crossing improvement projects

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on Wednesday authorized Norfolk Southern Railway, Indiana & Ohio Railway and Grand River Railway to improve grade crossings in three counties.

The projects will be completed in Clinton, Hancock and Lake counties. The Hancock County project is to be completed by Jan. 25, 2019, while the other projects are to be finished by July 25, 2018, PUCO officials said in a press release.

Federal funding for the projects is being provided through the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

The projects call for:
• NS to install traffic gates and lights at the Lima Avenue crossing in the city of Findlay in Hancock County;
• Indiana & Ohio Railway to install new lights and gates at the State Route 123/Broadway Street crossing in Blanchester in Clinton County; and
• Grand River Railway to install lights and gates at the Williams Street crossing near the village of Grand River, and at the Richmond Road/State Route 283 crossing near Painesville in Lake County.

PUCO evaluates Ohio's public grade crossings to determine the need for installing active warning devices. Since the commission began its evaluations, the annual number of train-motor vehicle accidents in Ohio has fallen from 123 in 2001 to 64 in 2016.