Memorandum To: James A. Smailes, P.E., Federal Railroad Administration

From: Mitch Eaton, Highway/Railroad Traffic Separation Engineer

Subject:Quarterly Report # 3, North Carolina Sealed Corridor
Project: TIP Project No. P-3419; Next Generation High Speed Rail Grant

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has completed the following tasks as part of the Sealed Corridor project since January, 1997 report:

• Long gate arm tests began at the Orr Road crossing in Charlotte on March 31 to collect data for 20 weeks. Articulated gate arm tests are scheduled to begin later this year.
• The Traffic Engineering & Safety Systems Branch’s Traffic Safety Systems Management Unit submitted eight four-quadrant gate locations to Norfolk Southern Railway for design and construction, which should be complete by the end of 1997.
• The engineering firm of Gannett-Fleming continued their Traffic Separation Study to consolidate crossings between 36th Street in Charlotte and Liberty Street in China Grove, and will have a draft proposal this summer.
• Division 9 field forces completed construction of a parallel road connector and closed the Peach Orchard Lane crossing in Rowan County.
• The installation of median barriers at 13 locations did not commence, as the Traffic Engineering and Safety Systems Branch’s Traffic Control Unit is still in the process of drafting an evaluation report regarding the Qwik Kurb and Guide Barrier median barrier systems and issuing installation specifications. 

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