2 railroad crossings in Champaign County to get safety improvements

Deb Pressey, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·1 min read

May 18—SPRINGFIELD — Two Illinois Central Railroad crossings in Champaign County will get safety upgrades within the next 18 months.

The Illinois Commerce Commission said Thursday that it approved both projects for County Road 500 North and County Road 100 North.

John Cooper, assistant engineer at the Champaign County Highway Department, said both crossings are in Pesotum Township, and both currently lack safety features including warning signals and crossing gates.

The county will be handling work on the approaches, and will be hiring an outside contractor, but won't be responsible for any of the expense, Cooper said.

That will be covered by the Grade Crossing Protection Fund, according to the commerce commission.

The estimated cost to install new automatic warning devices at the crossings is $911,963.

The commerce commission staff recommended that 95 percent of that cost be covered by the Grade Crossing Protection Fund, with Illinois Central Railroad Company paying remaining design and installation costs and future operation and maintenance costs.