Indiana Rail Road (INRD) maintenance crews will be making safety-minded improvements to 321 public and private at-grade road crossings in Indiana and Illinois due to matching funds totaling $129,537 from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). INRD will contribute $126,037 for the projects, with the remainder provided by grants from Vigo, Greene and Sullivan counties in Indiana.
The project will increase motorist awareness and sightlines at grade crossings by clearing brush, trees and other vegetation. At 201 public grade crossings on INRD’s rail lines, any crossing with gates and/or flashing lights will have brush removed up to 250 feet from the roadway. All crossings not equipped with flashing lights will have brush removed up to 650 feet from the crossing. INRD will also place warning signs at the 120 private crossings in Indiana and Illinois, which are located on farm or residential roads.
The full project is expected to be completed in seven months.
The Indiana Rail Road annually spends more than $1 million on grade crossing improvements, but avoidable grade-crossing accident rates continue to remain high. The State of Indiana is ranked fourth nationally in grade crossing accidents, and Illinois is third.
The Indiana Rail Road Company is a privately-held, 250-mile railroad based in Indianapolis, serving central and southwest Indiana, as well as eastern Illinois.