Allen County receives federal grant for Scott Road railroad improvements

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WPTA) - The Allen County Board of Commissioners says the county recently received funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration to improve a local railroad crossing.

Commissioners say the grant is from the department’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, which selects projects across the country that improve the safety and mobility across at-grade rail crossings.

Norfolk Southern Railway (NSR) approached county leaders about the grant, commissioners say. Allen County was then awarded up to $400,000 to evaluate alternatives to improve the NSR railroad crossing at Scott Road.

The plan, called the Comprehensive Rail Overpass Safety Strategy (CROSS) Scott Road Project, will look at the potential of creating an overpass or underpass at the crossing.

Aside from roadway safety, the project will also consider local trail systems, aiming to connect the new Bass Road trail with those along Illinois Road and in the Covington area, commissioners say.

Hartman called it a “tricky area”, saying the study must consider the railroad crossing is located near Homestead, one of the county’s largest public high schools, as well as near a hospital and fire and EMS hubs.

Commissioners say the grant will cover 80% of the project, and the county will cover the remaining 20%. They say the county will look into other available grants for design and construction.

123 grants were awarded nationwide through the federal program, with Allen County receiving one of only six grants awarded in Indiana.

To be the first to get the latest breaking news alerts, download the 21Alive News App.

Download for both iPhone and Android devices can be found here.