WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Transportation is investing $5.3 billion in rail projects across the country, including $40 million for a project in Fairfield, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Friday.
According to his statement, the investment will help improve rail safety, upgrade infrastructure and support passenger rail service nationwide.
"Instead of wasting billions of dollars on a train to nowhere, we are fixing thousands of grade crossings, saving lives and improving communities across America," Duffy said.
The $40 million awarded to the Ohio Rail Development Commission will fund a project in Fairfield to close two at-grade rail crossings and create a new bridge over a section of the CSX Cincinnati Terminal Subdivision.
Separating road and rail traffic will reduce the risk of collisions, ease congestion and improve emergency response times, officials said.
"This project is about making Fairfield safer and keeping people, products and the economy moving forward," Ohio Sen. Jon Husted said.
The funding will help close more than 30 railroad crossings and upgrade more than 1,000 others across the country. Federal officials said they prioritized high-risk crossings with a history of crashes and fatalities.
