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The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division recently completed safety improvements at six grade crossings costing more than $1.5 million.

The division installed crossing signals and gates at a Norfolk Southern Railway crossing in Archdale; revised crossing signals and installed gates at a Winston Salem Southbound Railway Co. crossing in Albemarle; installed crossing signals and gates at a NS crossing in Balsam; installed crossing signals and gates at a NS crossing in Canton; revised crossing signals and gates, and installed four-quadrant gates at a NS crossing in Gastonia; and revised crossing signals and installed gates at a NS crossing in Mooresville.

Federal funding covered 90 percent of project costs, with the state of North Carolina covering the remainder. Maintenance expenses will be divided equally between the North Carolina DOT and railroads.

Meanwhile, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved allocations from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) to help fund safety improvements at three crossings.

The Washington and Idaho Railway will receive more than $8,400 from the GCPF to upgrade warning devices at two crossings in Whitman County, Wash. To be completed by June 15, the project calls for installing LED lights, mounting an LED power-outage indicator light and replacing crossbuck signs at a crossing in Palouse; and replacing incandescent lights with LED-type flashing lights, mounting an LED power-outage indicator light, changing battery chargers and installing crossbuck signs at a crossing on State Route 271.
 
The Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad will receive about $5,500 from the GCPF to upgrade warning signals, and install cantilevered-mounted lights and crossbuck signs at a crossing in Medical Lake. Also to be completed by June 15, the work involves replacing incandescent lights with LED-type flashing lights and installing a power-outage indicator light on a bungalow.