DECATUR – The City of Decatur has been selected as one of the inaugural recipients of the new Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funds thanks to support from State Senator Doris Turner.

“The safety of our community and residents is always at the forefront of our minds,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Being one of the recipients of this grant means that pedestrians and drivers in our community will be able to get around railroad tracks safer and more efficiently.”

The grant aims to improve rail safety by adding grade separations, closing at-grade crossings, and improving crossings where train tracks and roads intersect. The proposed project will improve connectivity by supporting construction activities to upgrade 1.21 miles of Brush College Road in Decatur. The project will create a new grade separation structure, permanently close two existing highway-rail grade crossings on Norfolk Southern and Illinois Central Railroad rights-of-way and will create pedestrian grade crossings at these locations.

“The improvement this grant will make to Decatur’s railroad infrastructure is incomparable,” said Turner. “Investing in rail safety is beneficial for drivers and pedestrians alike.”

The RCE Grant Program will award Decatur up to $16,000,000 in funding for the project.