Will help fund improvements at 99 crossings in 17 Kentucky counties
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear has announced nearly $2.2 million in grants to help fund safety improvements at railroad crossings in 17 Kentucky counties.
“Transportation safety in all its forms, including railroad safety, has been a high priority throughout my administration,” Gov. Beshear said. “Many accidents involving trains, motor vehicles and pedestrians can be avoided with improved signaling equipment, lighting and railroad crossing conditions. That’s the objective with all the grants being announced today.”
The grants, all of which require a dollar-for-dollar match from the railroad companies, are funded through the Kentucky Railroad Crossing Improvement Program, which is administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The cabinet processed applications for 105 projects at 99 crossing locations. Thirty-nine projects are for crossing reconstruction. Sixty-six projects involve added or improved signals, including upgrades to LED (light-emitting diode) lighting.
R.J. Corman Railroad is carrying out 77 of the projects. Twenty-two of the projects are by TransKentucky Transportation Inc., and six are by Paducah & Louisville Railroad.
Six of the projects are on crossings at which passenger trains are prohibited and the speed limit for freight trains is 10 mph because of substandard track conditions.
At least 11 of the projects are on crossings at which there has been at least one crash involving motor vehicles or pedestrians in the last five years.
Projects are in these counties, west to east: Graves, Todd, Logan, Warren, Grayson, Hardin, Nelson, Jefferson, Shelby, Franklin, Woodford, Scott, Fayette, Bourbon, Nicholas, Fleming and Mason.
