Federal officials will spend $36.9 million to build underpasses on Houston’s East End,...
in their neighborhood, pose a safety hazard for pedestrians and block emergency access.
“The safest highway crossing is one that has an overpass or an underpass and doesn’t exist in the first place,” Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose said during a media call Friday announcing funding for 400 crossings in 32 states.Stopped trains still block East End streets. A federal bill could lead to fines for railroads.
The money, from the federal Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, will go to the city of Houston to build underpasses at Commerce at Navigation and at York near McKinney. It is the third-largest award announced and covers about 30 percent of the $123.6 million cost. Four underpasses will be constructed, creating what federal officials called a 9,000-foot sealed corridor that removes seven different at-grade rail crossings for drivers in the East End, hemmed in by both Union Pacific and BNSF Railway yards., spanning the Union Pacific tracks twice at a cost of $56.3 million, received $19.6 million.
"Without the ability to close the funding gap, the city will be unable to construct both underpasses," Mayor Sylvester Turner wrote in the city's
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