BNSF to close 5,000th crossing closure across network

Written by jrood

Officials from the city of Sioux Falls, S.D., the state of South Dakota and BNSF celebrated the closure of the 5,000th grade crossing on BNSF's rail network, setting a new national record for grade-crossing closures and safety improvement.

At a ceremony near the
crossing and in view of the new 69th Street overpass currently under
construction, officials watched as railroad crews pulled out the old crossing
surface that allowed vehicles to cross the railroad tracks on 69th Street in
Sioux Falls. Removing the surface was the last step to permanently closing the
69th Street crossing and to eliminating the opportunity for any future grade
crossing collisions.

"Safety is a top priority
at BNSF," said Lyn Hartley, BNSF director of public projects. "We have learned
over time that one of the best ways to address grade crossing safety is to
reduce the number of at-grade crossings. To the great credit of Sioux Falls city
leaders, they recognized that the ideal solution between trains and motorists
was to close this crossing and build the 69th Street overpass."

Sioux Falls Mayor Mike
Huether said, "We are a forward-thinking city in Sioux Falls, always looking
for opportunities to grow. However, public safety always remains as our primary
goal in our quest to have the highest quality of life possible. This provides
us a safer, more efficient way for vehicles to cross the tracks."

BNSF has worked
cooperatively with states and communities across its 28-state network to close
5,000 crossings since the BNSF crossing-closure program began in 2000. Combined
with other safety initiatives, the grade-crossing-closure program has helped to
reduce grade-crossing collisions on BNSF’s 32,000-mile network by 70 percent since
1995. BNSF has one of the lowest highway-railroad grade crossing collision
rates in the rail industry and continues to work with the states and
communities it serves to further improve grade crossing safety.

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