advertisement

---

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) will expedite the installation of vehicle gates at a grade crossing in Redding where two young people were killed when their car was struck by a train in December, DOT officials announced last week.

The gates will be installed at the existing crossing on Long Ridge Road under an ongoing signalization project, which involves the implementation of centralized train control on the Danbury branch of MTA Metro-North Railroad, DOT officials said in a prepared statement.

The new gates will be installed and operational by April 30, they said.

Originally, the gates were to be installed under a local railroad/highway project that included the relocation of the crossing and the realignment of the intersection at Long Ridge Road, Side Cut Road and Simpaug Turnpike. However, environmental and right-of-way issues will delay construction until late 2014, said DOT officials.

DOT Commissioner James Redeker said his agency reviewed the projects and agreed that the gates should be installed without further delay as part of the signalization project. When the roadway realignment is completed, the gates will be relocated to the new site.