GDOT, Norfolk Southern partnering to enhance railroad crossing safety

Additional safety signage is coming to railroad crossings in Polk County and around the state according to the Georgia Department of Transportation in a release last week.

GDOT reported in their release that some 600 railroad crossings in the state will get yield or stop signs added as they don’t currently have any and need to come into compliance with the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in a partnership with Norfolk Southern.

With 582 affected crossings in Georgia, Norfolk Southern’s project is by far the largest due to the size and complexity of its system in Georgia. The project seeks to install signage at passive public highway-rail grade crossings that don’t already have automatic warning devices, like lights or gates.

Funding for the statewide project includes money from the USDOT’s Railway-Highway Crossings Program, which makes funds available to states for the cost of construction of projects for the elimination of hazards at railwayhighway crossings.

“The interest and investment in the safety of the Georgia’s motoring public by Norfolk Southern and the other railroads operating in Georgia is commendable,” said GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry. “These partnerships will improve safety at passive railroad crossings throughout the state.”

“Our collaboration with GDOT allows us to move forward to enhance safety at highway-rail grade crossings that are not equipped with active warning devices,” said John Scheib, NS’ executive vice president law and administration and chief legal officer. “Collectively it represents both the state’s and the railroad’s deep commitment to public safety.”

Other railroads with which GDOT is partnering include Georgia Northeastern Railroad, Georgia Southern Railway, Ogeechee Railroad Company and St. Mary’s Railway West.

Polk joins a list of counties that will be impacted by the changes including Baldwin, Banks, Bibb, Bleckley, Burke, Carroll, Charlton, Chatham, Clayton, Clinch, Cobb, Cook, Coweta, Crisp, Dade, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Echols, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Monroe, Muscogee, Paulding, Peach, Putnam, Richmond, Spalding, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Telfair, Tift, Turner, Twiggs, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whitfield and Wilkinson.