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Last week, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved plans to upgrade three grade crossings and provide Grade Crossing Protection Fund (GCPF) program dollars to help finance the projects.

To be completed by September 2010, the projects call for:
• installing automatic flashing light signals and gates at a Canadian Pacific/Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad crossing near Leaf River;
• installing automatic flashing light signals and gates controlled by constant warning time circuitry, and improving approaches at a CSX Transportation crossing in South Ross Township; and
• installing automatic flashing light signals and gates controlled by constant warning time circuitry, and adding an event recorder and remote monitoring system to a Union Pacific Railroad crossing near Gurnee.

The ICC will provide $154,000 and $180,000 from the GCPF to help finance 95 percent of the cost for the Leaf River and South Ross Township projects, respectively. The commission will provide $87,000 to cover 30 percent of the Gurnee project’s cost; the Illinois Department of Transportation will pay the remainder.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Rail Development Commission announced the state will start upgrading a crossing in Licking County on Sept. 25 — the first of 23 rail-related, federal stimulus-funded construction projects to begin in Ohio.

The project calls for resurfacing a crossing between Heath and Hebron that’s located on a rail line that serves a large industrial park.