"We truly appreciate the California Transportation Commission allocating these bond funds for the Baldwin Avenue project," said ACE Board Chairman David Gutierrez, a city of San Gabriel Councilman. "This project will eliminate a congested and hazardous roadway-railroad crossing on a busy thoroughfare, which connects the 10 and 210 freeways."

The $80.5 million project calls for constructing a double-track railroad bridge over a four-lane depressed roadway on Baldwin Avenue between Rose Avenue and Gidley Street. Bessie Avenue will end in cul-de-sacs with a new pedestrian bridge built across Baldwin Avenue. Baldwin Avenue is used by 28,000 vehicles a day, including substantial truck traffic, which are blocked when crossing gates are down for 14 freight trains per day and six passenger trains per week.

The project will eliminate the at-grade crossing, the potential for train-vehicle collisions, delays for emergency responders and reduce emissions and locomotive horn and crossing gate noise. Project spending is projected to create 1,370 full-time equivalent jobs. The Federal Railroad Administration has recorded two train-vehicle collisions at the crossing in the past 10 years.