NEWS                                                  

 

OHIO RAIL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

 

50 W. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215

(614) 644-0306 telephone (614) 728-4520

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                        Contact: Stu Nicholson

Date:   May 28, 2004                                                                                                                                                                          (614) 644-0513 

 

 

 

Willard Area Crossing On

The Fast Track For A Fix

 

(Columbus) — When a semi-tractor trailer rig ran into the side of an Ashland Railway train in the early-morning darkness on March 25th at the US Highway 224 crossing, the driver told the Ohio Highway Patrol he didn’t see the warning flashers, railroad cross bucks or the train itself as he approached.  Now, thanks to cooperation between the railroad and the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC), the crossing will not only get new warning flashers, but the addition of gates as well. 

 

And there’s more good news.  The crossing gate project, which might normally take up to a year to design and build, will likely be completed in four to five months. This expedited project is possible because the US 224 crossing already had warning flashers.  Replacing existing warning signals involves less engineering and design work, so less time is needed.  Speeding up the project is also due to the fact that US 224 is a heavily traveled route between Willard and New Haven and both ORDC and the Ashland Railway are concerned over the potential for further accidents.

 

An exact start date for construction of the new lights and gate as not been set, but the expectation is that it will begin soon.

 

 

(The Ohio Rail Development Commission is an independent agency operating within te 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/ )