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Tuesday February 07, 2012

Engineering Division - Railroad Corridor Safety Improvements
 

In November 1992, The federal government declared the rail corridor through Salisbury as one of five national corridors for high-speed passenger rail service. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) immediately began plans to improve the corridor. Their primary goal was to provide two-hour passenger service between Charlotte and Raleigh to reduce congestion on I-85 and I-40.  At the time, there were 17 grade crossings within a 3-½ mile stretch through Salisbury. This was the highest concentration of grade crossings on the busiest freight train route in the state. Two crossings in Salisbury were already rated as the 3rd and 4th most likely in the state for accidents to occur, and a third crossing actually had a worse record. Approximately half of all traffic fatalities in Salisbury were occurring at grade crossings. More than half of those fatalities occurred where automatic cross-arms already existed. Finally, the electronic circuitry that controlled the cross-arms had reached its capacity, so it would have cost half a million dollars just to install one more set of cross-arms.

 rail map
Railroad Corridor Improvements

Railroad Crossing Barrier on Monroe Street
Railroad Crossing Barrier on Monroe Street

In April 1994, the City of Salisbury conducted the first Rail Corridor Safety Study in the state. The goal of the study was to prepare a long-range plan to consolidate rail crossings while improving local transportation. The study identified two bridges and one road extension as major long-term improvements, as well as several, smaller short-term improvements. The Board of Transportation was so impressed with the study that they provided nearly $1.4 million dollars for immediate corridor improvements. The City of Salisbury contributed about $300,000, and Norfolk Southern Railroad contributed $140,000.


Closed Railroad Crossing on Vance Street
Closed Railroad Crossing on Vance Street

To date, the Rail Corridor Safety Program has extended Boundary Street to Jake Alexander Boulevard, realigned Military Avenue to increase use of the existing underpass, extended Lumber Street to Boundary Street, closed eight grade crossings, and begun feasibility studies for two bridges. Video surveillance cameras have been installed at one crossing. Median barriers have been installed at two crossings. Salisbury has also been identified as the most likely hub for passenger rail service to Asheville.  The program has received very positive support from Salisbury citizens and the news media.  NCDOT presents "the Salisbury way of doing things" as a statewide example of the benefits of rail crossing consolidation.