City lands 'historic' grant for railroad crossing safety project

SANDPOINT — The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded more than $20 million — the largest grant in Sandpoint's history — to improve railroad crossing safety and transportation connections along the Great Northern Road corridor.

“This is a historic investment in Sandpoint and an extraordinary achievement for a community our size,” said Mayor Jeremy Grimm. “Securing more than $20 million in federal funding gives us an opportunity to address longstanding railroad crossing safety issues while making substantial improvements to Great Northern Road and the surrounding infrastructure." 

The project includes improvements at three crossings. At Gooby Road, work will include realigning the roadway and railroad crossing and installing upgraded active warning gates, flashing lights, and related safety signage. 

Improvements at Woodland Drive will include installing upgraded railroad crossing warning systems and roadway intersection improvements to increase the separation between the intersection and railroad tracks. The project will also adjust the railroad track profile to improve crossing conditions. 

Mountain View Drive railroad crossing will be permanently closed, with traffic redirected to improved crossings at Gooby Road and Woodland Drive. 

Together, these improvements will create a safer, more reliable transportation network for residents, businesses, emergency responders, and the traveling public, the press release said. 

From safer railroad crossings and improved emergency access to resolving decades-old drainage problems, Grimm said the grant will help fund a project that will benefit the city for generations. 

City officials addressed concerns from Timberline Estates neighborhood residents, particularly about potential additional traffic along Goodman Drive with the proposed elimination of the Mountain View Drive railroad crossing. 

Recognizing those concerns, city officials said they intend to keep working with neighborhood residents as the project moves through final design to evaluate traffic impacts and identify reasonable measures to address them. 

"While we recognize that changes to the Mountain View crossing will affect nearby neighborhoods, the broader community benefits are tremendous. This is exactly the kind of strategic infrastructure investment that will help Sandpoint remain a safe, functional, and economically vibrant community for decades to come,” Grimm said. 

Closing an existing crossing does not depend on receiving federal grant funding, since state law governs railroad crossing closures, city officials said. 

The grant is meant to address railroad crossing safety comprehensively, including substantial improvements to the surrounding transportation network, rather than an individual crossing in isolation, city officials said.