Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Secretary Greg Thomas has approved the issuance of nearly $1.3 million in grants to improve multimodal freight transportation through the Kentucky Rail Crossing Improvement (KRCI) Program.
Jointly administered by the Division of Planning and Division of Right of Way and Utilities, the Cabinet will fund half of $2.5 million dollars in project costs to maintain and improve at-grade rail crossings in Kentucky.
“We’re proud to invest in the state’s railway system by partnering with companies to ensure safe, reliable and efficient freight transportation,” said Secretary Thomas. “This funding will be put to good use to improve the safety of our rail infrastructure.”
Awards were issued to Paducah and Louisville Railroad (PAL), RJ Corman Railroad Group (RJC), Fredonia Valley Railroad (FVRR), and Louisville Metro Government. The grants will fund 20 safety improvement projects, including the reconstruction of 16 crossings, three signal upgrades and one crossing replacement.
When selecting KRCI awardees, the Cabinet examined factors such as crash history, vehicle, train and truck traffic, physical condition, project cost, and the federal railroad crossing score. One of the selected crossing reconstruction projects had average daily traffic counts as high as 9,066. The projects to reconstruct crossing surfaces commonly include pavement resurfacing on the approaching roads, and ballast, ties and rail replacements.
(provided by Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)
