The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the $3 million Long Beach railroad crossing grade improvement project. The project improved nine railroad crossings throughout the city.
Work involved raising each crossing’s roadway approaches to decrease the chances of a vehicle being stuck on the crossing.
“The Long Beach railroad crossing improvement project represents a landmark step forward in our commitment to addressing railroad crossing safety,” Charles Busby, MDOT Southern Transportation District commissioner, said. “This project sets a strong precedent for others like it along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. By leveling crossings, we’re not only improving mobility and efficiency — we’re also eliminating safety hazards for motorists and rail traffic alike.”
The project is the the first program MDOT has embarked upon that improved railroad crossing safety in a city. The agency plans to implement comparable projects in other cities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A project in Pass Christian currently is in the design phase.
The Federal Highway Administration’s Rail Crossing Safety program funded the project. MDOT’s Local Public Agency (LPA) division administered funding. The division oversees the planning, design and construction of LPA projects funded by the agency.