Allen County receives over $27.8M for next stage in Scott Road rail crossing improvement

ALLEN COUNTY Ind. (WPTA) - Allen County received the total grant amount it requested from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program for $27,878,116.

The grant will fund the project development, final design, and construction stages of the C.R.O.S.S. (Comprehensive Rail Overpass Safety Solution) Scott Road Project.

It allows the project team to further develop the improvement concepts, acquire right-of-way, relocate utilities, eventually construct a much-needed grade separation, and take the next steps to proceed with another project funded by the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant, given in January 2025.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Allen County receives federal grant for Scott Road railroad improvements

That grant, which was up to $400,000, enabled Allen County to evaluate alternatives to improve an at-grade crossing of the Norfolk Southern Railway (NSR) and Scott Road. The current planning stage is scheduled to be completed in December 2026.

The Allen County Highway Department’s project team examined the feasibility of closing the rail crossing at Scott Road, a main north-south artery on the west side of Allen County, and identified potential grade separation solutions to address the impact the crossing has on the safe movement of people and goods along the road and the rail.

By the end of this year, outcomes of the first stage will provide conceptual engineering for the potential at-grade crossing closure, subsequent grade separation, and a preliminary environmental assessment.

Design work for the Scott Road grade separation should begin in late summer 2027, with construction completed by fall 2032.

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