Medina, Ohio, strikes deal for railroad repairs

Written by jrood

Medina, Ohio, is upgrading seven railroad crossings for the cost of two after Council recently approved a deal with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, local newspapers report. According to the agreement, the utilities commission will cover the city's estimated $400,000 share of installing crossing gates and upgrading warning signals at five railroad crossings at South Court Street between Smith and Lafayette roads; South Elmwood Avenue, West Smith Road between South Elmwood Avenue; and South Huntington Street, Medina Street, and Prospect Street.

In exchange, the city will
pay an estimated $400,000 for work at two additional crossings on Lafayette
Road near the Medina County Fairgrounds and the one on Ryan Road near West
Sturbridge Drive, according to Medina engineer Patrick Patton.

Other organizations
contributing funds to the approximately $1.3-million project include the utilities
commission, Ohio Railroad Development Commission, Northeast Ohio Areawide
Coordinating Agency, and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.

Patton said "it will make
those crossings safer" and plans to resurface the railroad crossings in the
city will proceed this summer, with gates and flashers installed in the fall.

The crossings ranked high
on the public utilities commission’s list of those that should be upgraded,
Patton said, and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway also has expressed concerns
about the crossings to his department. Nine railroad crossings in the city also
will be resurfaced starting this summer, Patton said.

Patton has said the
resurfacing work will cost an estimated $2.5 million, with the city’s share
around $500,000.

The crossings are at
Progress Drive, West Liberty Street by A.I. Root Co., Lafayette Road near the
Medina County Fairgrounds, Ryan Road, South Elmwood Avenue near West Smith
Road, West Smith Road between South Elmwood Avenue and South Huntington Street,
South Huntington Street, South Prospect Street and Medina Street.

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