Railroad crossings to close in Durham and Wake Counties

Railroad crossings in Durham and Wake Counties will be closed through 2014 as crews work on a multimillion-dollar project to improve safety for trains and vehicles.

The Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh received a $10.9 million contract from the N.C. Department of Transportation for a railroad safety project. The project will close railroad crossings at Hopson Road in Durham County and Church Street in Wake County.

The plan realigns 3.8 miles of the North Carolina Railroad/Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks from Interstate 40 to McCrimmon Parkway.

A railroad bridge will be constructed over Hopson Road, and Church Street will be realigned onto Keystone Park Drive. The current crossings have poor line of sight for vehicles, and eliminating the crossings is expected to reduce crashes.

Work is expected to begin Dec. 31, and the railroad track construction will be completed by Aug. 31, 2014. Roadway work will be completed by July 1, 2015.