July 6, 1998

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

From: Mitch Eaton, Highway/Railroad Traffic Separation Engineer

Subject: Quarterly Report # 8, North Carolina Sealed CorridorProject: 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 our last report to you in April, 1998:

• The Master Agreement for the Sealed Corridor Project was executed by both the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corporation on April 6, 1998.
• Base-line data collection for the CLEAR Violations Video Ticketing System on the Henderson Street crossing in Salisbury, Rowan Co., has been completed. The preliminary data shows an average of three vehicles per week violating the activated crossing protection devices. Final coordination between the City of Salisbury, NCDOT Rail Division, and Norfolk Southern is necessary before the ticketing phase of the CLEAR Violations study will commence. The "Photo Citation Enforcement" signs proposed for the CLEAR Violations ticketing phase of the Henderson Street location are completed and will be installed when the ticketing phase of the study commences.
• A meeting between the Traffic Engineering & Safety Systems Branch’s Traffic Safety Systems Management Unit and the Norfolk Southern Communications and Signals Department was held on June 4, 1998 to discuss the preemption phasing plan for use at required four-quadrant gate locations. Two preemption phasing alternatives for the railroad and highway signals were decided upon for study. The first preemption alternative will involve the timing sequence for the traffic signals and railroad signals for the phasing of the entrance and exit gates of the four-quadrant gate system, and the second alternative will utilize available advanced head traffic signal preemption in coordination with the phasing of the entrance and exit gates.
• The purchase order for the installation of the Qwick Kurb median barriers has been requested from the NCDOT Purchasing Section. The installation of the median barriers should commence within the month.
• The City of High Point has constructed the concrete median barriers at the newly constructed Pendleton Street crossing. Tubular delineators are mounted atop the concrete barriers. The effectiveness and durability of the concrete median barrier will be evaluated in conjunction with the Qwick Kurb median barrier.
• The engineering firm of Gannett-Fleming is still negotiating with the participating municipalities on the recommendations from the Traffic Separation Study to consolidate crossings between 36th Street in Charlotte and Liberty Street in China Grove. Open-house meetings were held in Landis, Harrisburg, and Kannapolis for the public to review and comment on the proposed recommendations from the study. Agreements between the NCDOT and the participating municipalities are being drafted and negotiated for the implementation of the study.
• The engineering firm of Carter-Burgess is working with the NCDOT Planning and Environmental Branch to complete the environmental documentation necessary for the proposed connector road and grade separation that will enable the elimination of three redundant at-grade crossings in Greensboro. Upon completion of the environmental documentation, detailed costs estimates for the construction of the connector roads project will commence. The grade separation will be constructed at a later date.

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