Grand Island among recipients of federal rail safety funds
Nebraska received $67.9 million
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The city of Grand Island is bringing in $600,000 of the $67.9 million awarded to Nebraska for Federal Rail Crossing Safety Grants . The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the funding Friday, which will be coming through the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program to enhance rail safety and mobility. Grand Island is one of just three Nebraska cities to receive the grants, with Omaha and Lincoln being the other two. The city will use the funds for a rail crossing study, which will create a prioritized Corridor Improvement Plan for 17 crossings, recommending closures, grade separations and safety enhancements to improve travel reliability and emergency response.
“This is wonderful news for Nebraska,” NDOT Local Assistance Division Manager Jodi Gibson said in a press release. “We want to congratulate and thank the City of Lincoln and the City of Grand Island for their efforts to secure this funding. These projects will save lives, reduce delays and enhance emergency response times.” “An investment this large, over $67 million, will make a significant impact to the safety and efficiency of Nebraska’s transportation system,” added NDOT Director Vicki Kramer in the press release. “Railroad crossings present a vulnerability, and the funding will allow Lincoln and Grand Island to address their local needs while the funds awarded to NDOT will focus on the 73 crossings between Omaha and Lincoln.”
FUNDING BROKEN DOWN BELOW
City of Lincoln – 33rd/Cornhusker Viaduct ($66,706,880)
The project was selected for Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition and Construction and includes activities to eliminate two at-grade crossings in Lincoln. It will build a new bridge over the rail corridor to eliminate two at-grade railroad crossings at N. 33rd Street and Adams Street.
City of Grand Island – Grand Island Rail Crossing Study ($600,000)
The planning project was selected as a prioritized Corridor Improvement Plan for 17 rail crossings in Grand Island. The project recommends crossing closures, grade separations and targeted safety countermeasures to enhance safety and address unreliable travel routes and emergency response delays caused by frequent train traffic. NDOT – Omaha to Lincoln Rail Crossing Study ($600,000)
The proposed project was selected for Project Planning and includes activities to evaluate 73 at-grade crossings along 64.5 miles of BNSF track across Nebraska. The project will identify various safety improvements, including crossing closures, installation of active warning devices, realignment of crossings, upgrades to grade crossings and new roadway connections.
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