The North Carolina Department of Transportation is working to alleviate these traffic congestion problems through two improvements projects:
The Greenville Connector
and the Greenville Rail Yard.
- Rail Improvements Home
- Project Details & Maps
- Public Outreach
- Project Contacts
- Traffic Separation Home
NCDOT Rail Division
1556 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1556
Phone: 919 715-7894
Email: jorthner@dot.state.nc.us
Contact: Jason Orthner, PE
Senior Project Engineer
Project Background
Both CSX Transportation and Carolina Coastal Railway operate trains through Greenville. A hospital and other major employment areas are located on the northwest side of the city, and most of the residential areas and new growth are located on the southeast side of the city — both are areas linked by roads that contain railroad crossings. Because the majority of train traffic occurs through the core of the City, commuters, school buses and emergency vehicles must pass through the rail crossings on a daily basis.
In addition, a small switching yard (an area where freight cars are maneuvered and linked to build eastbound trains) is located between Arlington Road and Howell Street. The train switching operations in this yard often occur during peak travel times, blocking the railroad crossings at Fourteenth Street, Howell Street and Arlington Road.
Together, these situations create a significant increase in vehicle delay and can impede emergency response access and response time.