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PUCO approves rail crossing upgrade

COLUMBUS, OHIO (May 20, 2020) – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) directing Ohio Southern Railroad (OSR) to make an upgrade at a rail crossing in Muskingum County.

OSR will upgrade active warning devices for traffic signal preemption at the State Route 719 grade crossing in the city of Zanesville, Muskingum County, by May 20, 2021.

Federal funding will be provided for this project.

To increase public safety during the construction of the projects, local governments may seek funding from the PUCO for the cost of safety improvements such as rumble strips, illumination, improved signage or other enhancements at project locations. Funding for such improvements comes from the State Grade Crossing Safety fund and may not exceed $5,000 per project.

The PUCO is responsible for evaluating Ohio’s public grade crossings to determine the need for installing active warning devices. Since the PUCO began implementing these evaluations, the annual number of train-motor vehicle crashes in Ohio has decreased significantly, from 356 in 1990 to 69 in 2019.

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 website at gradecrossings.puco.ohio.gov/.

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