Allen County has received the total grant amount it requested from the Federal Rail Administration Railroad Crossing Elimination grant program in the amount of $27,878,116.
Allen County Board of Commissioners news release:
Allen County Receives Over $27.8 Million for Next Stage in Scott Road Rail Crossing Improvement
Allen County, Indiana – Allen County received the total grant amount it requested from the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program in the amount of $27,878,116. The grant will fund the Project Development, Final Design, and Construction stages of the C.R.O.S.S. (Comprehensive Rail Overpass Safety Solution) Scott Road Project (the “Project”).
This funding allows the next steps to proceed for the Project following the receipt of an initial Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant in January 2025. That first grant of up to $400,000 enabled Allen County to evaluate alternatives to improve an at-grade crossing of the Norfolk Southern Railway (NSR) and Scott Road. The current planning stage is scheduled to be completed in December 2026.
The Allen County Highway Department’s Project Team examined the feasibility of closing the rail crossing at Scott Road, a main north-south artery on the west side of Allen County and identified potential grade separation solutions – which typically involves the construction of an over- or under- pass – to address the impact the crossing has on the safe movement of people and goods along the road and the rail. By the end of this year, outcomes of the first stage will provide conceptual engineering for the potential at-grade crossing closure, subsequent grade separation, and a preliminary environmental assessment.
This new grant of $27.8 million allows the Project Team to further develop the improvement concepts, acquire right-of-way, relocate utilities, and eventually construct a much-needed grade separation.
According to Allen County Highway Director Bill Hartman, “This grant comes at an incredibly important time for our community. As our community continues to grow, traffic volumes will only increase, and delays at this railroad crossing will become an even greater challenge. This project allows us to be proactive rather than reactive, improving safety and traffic flow while preparing our infrastructure for future growth.”
The Commissioners echoed Hartman, sharing in a joint statement said that, “This project is about more than alleviating traffic congestion. It’s about improving safety, reducing delays for residents traveling to and from school, work, and healthcare providers, as well as connectivity for fire and EMS hubs. This is about making sure our transportation infrastructure keeps pace with the growth of our community. A grade separation will provide a long-term solution to a challenge that has become more significant as this area develops.”
Fort Wayne is a crossroads of multiple Norfolk Southern Railway (NSR) corridors: the Chicago, Huntington, New Castle, and Fostoria Districts which connect the region to NSR’s 22-state region and the entire U.S. freight network. In addition to its infrastructure, NSR has trackage rights over the Chicago, Fort Wayne, and Eastern Railroad which traverse Fort Wayne and Allen County.
As mentioned in the All in Allen Comprehensive Plan, over the past five years, three out of every four single-family residential building permits have been located outside of municipal boundaries in unincorporated Allen County. Most of the single-family residential rezoning was in rural areas where farmland was redeveloped. As more families move into and around the focus area, vehicle-train interactions will continue to increase, highlighting the need for crossing solutions to ensure safe and efficient travel.
Design work for the Scott Road grade separation should begin late summer 2027, with construction completed by fall 2032.
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