Overview
A new road and at-grade rail crossing, Twin Bridges Road (formerly Spring Creek Road), will be constructed to replace the Royer Street railroad crossing. Twin Bridges Road will begin at the existing traffic signal for the east entrance of the Leon Young Colorado Springs Utilities Facilities on Hancock Expressway and cross the rail to the south, passing under the US-24 (Martin Luther King Bypass), and connecting to Las Vegas Street just east of the bypass.
About
Background of the project
The existing Royer Street railroad crossing just north of Las Vegas Street is a non-standard crossing and restricts the clearance of low-profile vehicles. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has recorded 25 non-fatal, “train vs. vehicle” accidents at this crossing since 1975. These accidents highlight the ongoing risk of low-profile vehicles blocking the railroad track in this location. Each time this happens, the rail line is forced out of service until the vehicle can be removed.
This project was initiated as a safety project to improve the at-grade crossing at Royer Street. During the evaluation of safety improvement options, it was determined that replacing the crossing in a new location to the east was the preferred solution. The new roadway and rail crossing will be operational prior to the closure of the existing crossing at Royer Street.
Purpose/Goals/Benefits
Replacing an existing, at-grade railroad crossing with a safer crossing.
Funding
This project is funded through Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) as a PPRTA 2 A-list project.