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The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is seeking public comments on proposals to install surfaces, signals, flashing lights and gates at grade crossings northwest of Winston and in Great Falls to improve safety.

The project near Winston involves Montana Rail Link and the project in Great Falls involves BNSF Railway Co. MDT will fund the projects — which are tentatively slated to start in fall — and the railroads will complete installation work.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission directing Norfolk Southern Railway to install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at a crossing in Fairfield County.

The railroad will be responsible for completing work at the Carroll Northern Road/County Road 36 crossing by Jan. 10, 2014. Funding will be covered by federal dollars.

In other rail infrastructure/crossing news, Union Pacific Railroad announced plans to spend $12 million to upgrade a line between Granite and Rawlins, Wyo.

To be completed by July's end, the project calls for replacing more than five miles of rail in various curves and about 69,000 ties, installing more than 27,000 tons of ballast and renewing surfaces at 26 crossings.

The project is one of nearly 1,500 UP plans to complete this year across its 32,000-mile network.