WINGATE, N.C. — The Wingate Board of Commissioners held a special meeting Wednesday to discuss potential improvements to the railroad crossings in town.
Since the beginning of the year, two freight trains, both operated by CSX Transportation, struck trucks stopped on the road crossing.
Officials explained in the meeting that the elevated crossings caused the trucks to get stuck on the tracks, leaving them stranded as trains approached. Luckily, no one was seriously injured in either January crash.
Officials from the North Carolina Department of Transportation attended the meeting to explain to commissioners and the public their plan to make the railroad crossings safer.
The goal is to flatten and smooth out the crossings so no trucks will get stuck on them. The plan could also add more lighting and sidewalks to connecting roads.
The project, expected to cost more than a million dollars, will likely happen thanks to a federal grant.
Mayor Gary Hamill said it could take around a year to get done.
“The endgame is to stop a natural disaster from a train wreck that we’ve seen across the country,” Hamill said.
Residents that attended the meeting told WCNC Charlotte they're happy the town is being proactive to prevent any possible toxic spills.
“I live just two blocks away and with a hazardous waste spill, I’m not sure what would happen to me and my family,” Nathel Hailey shared.
The board meets again on March 21, where they’ll vote on whether to move the plan forward. If approved, a public hearing will be held a month after that.
Wingate is located east of Monroe within Union County and is home to Wingate University.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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