Ribbon Cutting and Unveiling of Rail Crossing Notification System
Date and Time
Wednesday Oct 28, 2015
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Description
Please join us for an unveiling ceremony this Wednesday, October 28th at 11am on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, just north of 25th Street near the new Sirmax site.
On Wednesday, October 28th the City of Anderson will debut an innovative system that will alert motorists of the status of the CSX Railroad Crossing on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Both the railroad and the highway are important transportation arteries that experience heavy traffic volumes. In addition, the CSX rail yard immediately to the east of the crossing generates a significant number of short crossing closures as the trains are assembled in the yard. This activity creates significant delays for motorists and emergency response vehicles. Fortunately, there is a convenient alternate route that includes a railroad underpass on Madison Ave. to the east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
The system includes detectors that monitor train and crossing gate movements. When the gates are closed, flashing lights are activated on signs located at the two diversion points along MLK Blvd. (38thStreet and 29th Street). The signs notify motorists when the crossing is currently occupied so they can make an informed decision as to whether they want to take the alternate route or wait for the train to clear. This information is also being provided to the Emergency Dispatch Center to inform response vehicles about the status of the crossing when they are involved in an emergency run.
The alternate route includes 38th Street, Madison Ave. and 29th Street, and it is posted with Trail Blazing Signs to guide motorists. The underpass has 14’ 2” of vertical clearance and is well marked. This will accommodate most semi-trailers, but will not accommodate the occasional over height load. Wide loads are not a problem at the underpass because the bridge was designed for the future widening of Madison Ave.
