News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Shana Eiselstein
614 | 466 7750
COLUMBUS, OHIO (Aug. 12, 2009) – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today approved an agreement between the Ohio Rail Development Commission and CSX Transportation in which CSX will construct an intermodal terminal in Wood County, just outside the village of North Baltimore.
The intermodal terminal is part of a multi-state, state of the art rail corridor linking ports on the East Coast with the Midwest. The state of Ohio has committed $5 million toward the multi-state project.
The intermodal terminal project will result in the closure of the following grade crossings:
The project will require grade separation at the County Road 46/Liberty Hi Road (142-278V) grade crossing.
The project will also include the installation of LED flashing lights and roadway gates at the following grade crossings:
CSX will be responsible for completing construction of this project by Aug. 12, 2010. To increase public safety during the construction of this upgrade, the PUCO will assist the local government with the cost of improvements such as rumble strips, illumination, improved signage or other safety enhancements at the project locations. Funding for these improvements will come from the State Grade Crossing Safety Fund, and will not exceed $5,000.
The PUCO is responsible for evaluating Ohio’s public grade crossings to determine the need for installing active warning devices. In 2008, the PUCO played a part in the installation of lights and gates at 38 grade crossings throughout the state. Over the past two decades, the annual number of train-motor vehicle crashes in Ohio has decreased significantly, from 412 in 1988 to 82 in 2008.
The Ohio Rail Hotline, at (866) 814-RAIL (7245), provides Ohioans with a toll-free resource for all railroad crossing questions. For more information regarding these crossings, access the Ohio railroad information system Web site at http://gradecrossings.puco.ohio.gov/.
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09-626-RR-FED