The Arizona Corporation Commission approved several sites for railroad crossing upgrades. The Commission approved adding 5 crossings to the Commission’s crossing array and permitted an extension on the time to construct an upgrade for a busy crossing in Tempe.
The Arizona Corporation Commission has the exclusive power to determine which crossings require upgrades and what those upgrades should include. Each year, crossings are added to the Safety Division’s crossing array pursuant to ARS 40-337.03. Commissioners approved adding the following crossings to the array; on the BNSF Railroad in Winslow at Washington Street, in Phoenix at 29th Avenue, 44th Avenue, and Lincoln Street. Also on the AZER in Clifton, at Park Avenue.
Railroad inspectors work with cities, counties, and the railroads in making those determinations to ensure safety and improved traffic flow for problem crossings. The specific upgrades to take place are still to be determined.
The Commission also authorized an extension of the time to construct an upgrade to the Union Pacific crossing at Broadway to accommodate City of Tempe’s construction schedule. The upgrade was approved on July 30th, 2014. The project consists of installing two new curbside automatic gates with
LED flashing light units, a cantilever with LED flashing lights for eastbound traffic and two new automatic gates with LED flashing lights with a new raised median. Constant Warning Time circuitry will also be installed.