Salem will get federal funding to eliminate its Lincoln Avenue railroad crossing and separate the street from the Norfolk Southern rail line, U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli announced in a joint release from Husted’s office.
The project will separate Lincoln Avenue from the rail line, ending the conflicts between trains and vehicles at the crossing, cutting the traffic delays the crossing causes and improving access for emergency responders, the release said. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, following a letter Husted and Rulli sent to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy advocating for the project.
“Railroad crossings in Salem have caused significant delays for residents, local businesses and emergency responders, creating unnecessary safety risks. I’m proud to have advocated for this funding to address these challenges and improve safety for the community. This investment will help keep traffic moving, support local businesses and make life easier and safer for Ohioans,” Husted said in the release.
Rulli, whose hometown is Salem, made the same point in the release: “Salem is my hometown, and I know firsthand how much this overpass matters to the families who travel it every day. This funding will make the crossing safer and cut the delays that have frustrated drivers for too long.”
The need is a daily one. The release said the Salem project will address disruptions caused by approximately 48 train movements each day — trains that have delayed emergency responders, disrupted local businesses and created safety risks, including crashes at the crossing.
The announcement did not state a dollar amount for the grant or a construction timeline, and NewsForce247 is reporting only what the release confirms. Design and scheduling details are expected from the city and the Department of Transportation as the project moves forward.
The award continues a run of Ohio infrastructure funding Husted’s office has announced this fall, including a Toledo rail project in October and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority funding in September, the release noted. What happens next for Salem is the project’s design phase and a public construction schedule — and, for drivers on Lincoln Avenue, an end date for waiting on 48 trains a day.