The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing Dec. 5 on closing a number or rail crossings and restoring a second set of tracks between Reid Crossing south of Salisbury and north Kannapolis.
The changes are proposed as part of a plan to increase train speeds and improve safety between Raleigh and Charlotte.
The informal, open-house-style hearing will be 6-8 p.m. at the Kannapolis Train Station, 201 S. Main St.
The work, to be paid for with federal stimulus money, would restore 11 miles of tracks between the two cities. It also would include three new bridges to separate automobile and train traffic on Peeler Road, Kimball Road Extension and 24th Street Extension.
Some other crossings would be closed, and other safety measures are proposed where at-grade crossings can’t be closed.
In addition to allowing for faster train speeds and passenger and freight trains to run at the same time, the proposed changes would reduce the risk of collisions involving vehicles and trains and reduce traffic congestion at crossings, the state agency said.
For more information, contact Eileen Fuchs at the Transportation Department at 919-707-6067 or eafuchs@ncdot.gov
The Transportation Department will provide aids and services for disabled people who want to take part in the workshop. Anyone needing those services should contact Fuchs as soon as possible.