ICC approves pedestrian bridge, crossing work in five Illinois counties

The Illinois Commerce Commission approved a stipulated agreement between BNSF, LaSalle County Highway Department, Allen Township Road District and the Illinois Department of Transportation providing for the installation of flashing light signals and gates and improvement of the highway approaches, at the E 25th Road crossing near Ransom, LaSalle County. This is to be completed by June 2012. The estimated cost to install the new automatic flashing light signals and gates is $533,560 and the cost to improve the highway approach gates is $205,487. The Commission approved funding 95 percent of the cost of the project from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund and Allen Township will pay the remaining. The ICC approved a stipulated agreement requiring Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad Company to replace existing crossbuck warning signs and antiquated automatic signals with new automatic flashing light signals and gates with constant warning circuitry at 12 grade crossings located in Cook, DuPage, Kane and DeKalb counties. Total cost for the safety improvements is $2.4 million. The Commission authorized spending approximately $2.1 million from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund to help pay for the projects. The Illinois Department of Transportation will pay the remaining ten percent. The ICC has also authorized the construction of a pedestrian overpass crossing of UP's rail corridor in Lombard, including an estimated $1.9 million from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund to pay approximately 60 percent the total cost of the project. This is to be completed by December 2012. The total cost of the pedestrian overpass project is estimated to be $3.3 million and will cross over three of UP's mainline tracks. The remaining costs will be paid by the Village, using local and federal revenue sources.