Two railroad crossings currently only protected by warning signs will be equipped with lights and crossing gates.
Marion County Highway Engineer Mike McCormick presented resolutions at Tuesday night’s county board meeting to have Gonzales Engineers complete plans for making the improvements at the Basham and Currie Road crossings on the CN tracks.
McCormick anticipates by the time plans are approved actual construction will not begin until next spring.
He reports the Illinois Commerce Commission’s grade crossing fund will pay for 100-percent of the work.
McCormick says a fatal wreck at one of the crossings a few years ago raised the priority of making the improvements.
He also announced the closing on the purchase of 12 acres of property for the new highway department facility on the southwest corner of Hoots Chapel and U.S. 50 west of Salem was completed without issue. McCormick says at this time there is no timetable for action construction of the new facility to begin.
