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OHIO RAIL

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Contact: Stu Nicholson

(614) 644-0513

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              

Date: October 1, 2004                                                                               

 

 

22 Crossings in Paulding, Putnam and Hancock Counties to Get Safety Upgrades

 

(Columbus) – A major series of grade crossing safety projects have been given the go-ahead by the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC).  State-of-the-art warning lights and gates will be installed at 22 grade crossings along the Norfolk Southern Railroad corridor through Paulding, Putnam and Hancock counties.  ORDC today has asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to issue orders to the railroad to proceed with construction. All projects are to be completed within one-year.

 

Total cost for the 22 crossing projects will be slightly over $3.6 million dollars with 80% of that cost covered by ORDC.  The Norfolk Southern will cover the costs of preliminary engineering and maintenance.

 

“This is a big step in ORDC’s effort to identify and upgrade crossings along entire rail corridors in Ohio”, says ORDC Executive Director James Seney. A total of 69 crossings along this Norfolk Southern corridor are funded in FY-2004 for either new lights and gates or upgraded circuit technology for 2004.  The corridor runs from Vermillion in Erie County and west to the Indiana state line. 

 

The project list includes the following crossings:

 

•                     Hancock County                    Walnut Street (McComb)

•                     Hancock County                    Township Road 123

•                     Putnam County                       County Road 2

•                     Putnam County                       Township Road 11

•                     Putnam County                       County Road 12

•                     Putnam County                       Township Road 13

•                     Putnam County                       Township Road 15-C

•                     Putnam County                       Township Road 16-C

•                     Putnam County                       Township Road 20

•                     Putnam & Paulding County   Township Road 263

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 137

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 131

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 125

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 117

•                     Paulding County                     Van Wert Street (Latty)

•                     Paulding County                     Lewis Street (Latty)

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 59

•                     Paulding County                     Maple Street (Payne)

•                     Paulding County                     Laura Street (Payne)

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 33

•                     Paulding County                     County Road 11

•                     Paulding County                     Township Road 5

                                                                       


 

“This is a major step toward making these crossings safer for motorists in Northwest Ohio”, says ORDC’s James Seney.  “A safer, more efficient rail system also greatly improves Ohio’s already strategic location as a center for distribution in the global economy.  That generates the kind of economic development that creates more business and good jobs.”

 

Grade crossing improvement projects generally average around $212,000 per crossing, with funding on a matching basis from federal, state and local governments and the railroads.

 

 

(The Ohio Rail Development Commission is an independent agency operating within the Ohio Department of Transportation.  ORDC is responsible for economic development through the improvement and expansion of passenger and freight rail service, railroad grade crossing safety and rail travel & tourism issues. For more information about what ORDC does for Ohio, visit our website at http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/ )