Lockport Railroad Crossings Improvements Planned

LOCKPORT, IL — There have been several gate malfunctions and false signals along the Canadian National Railway in Lockport over the past few months. The city said affected crossings include Ninth Street and along the track from Second Street to Division Street.

The false signals have caused delays for motorists and increased safety concerns as drivers and pedestrians have been seen bypassing the gates when they were down and the signals were active with no trains, the city said.

The city and Congressman Dan Lipinski have been working with CN to address this issue . In February, city and state officials met with CN and several changes were implemented. The city said CN adjusted the settings on the crossing sensor equipment in full compliance with safety regulations, and shortened the length of the area in which trains are detected by circuitry. This required directing the trains to run slower to ensure that the tracks close with enough time to notify users.

The city said CN has reported a reduction in the number of false signal activations. Now, there will be several more improvements over the next few weeks.

At the Second Street crossing, CN is resurfacing the roadway and replacing the sidewalk. The crossing will be closed to all traffic May 18-19.

At the Eighth Street crossing, the pedestrian crossing will be reconstructed as well as the track bridge to the north. Work is expected May 13-17.

At the Ninth Street crossing, longer mast arms will be installed. The State Street project also includes striping updates to allow for longer stall lanes. The city said it is also working with CN to facilitate additional improvements at the Ninth Street crossing in 2020.

At the Division Street crossing, there will be track replacement, drainage improvements, ballast
replacement, roadway resurfacing, and curb and gutter replacement. The crossing will
be closed to all traffic May 13-17.