RALEIGH, N.C. – The FRA awarded close to $300 million in grant funding to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for rail safety improvements along the Piedmont Corridor.
The grant comes from the FRA’s National Railroad Partnership Program. The program provides funding for projects that reduce the state-of-good-repair backlog, expand or establish intercity passenger service, and improve performance. The U.S. Department of Transportation invested a reported $5.3 billion to improve rail safety and modernize infrastructure.
The Piedmont Corridor Safety Program was awarded for Project Development, Final Design, Right of Way Acquisition, and Construction activities. It includes grade crossing and track improvements. In Guilford County, six at-grade crossings will close, and crews will construct two new highway bridges. In Durham County, crews will close three railroad crossings and construct two highway bridges. In addition to establishing a new anti-trespassing program, crews will add almost six miles of a second track in Guilford, Durham, and Wake counties…