Wyoming soon to get quieter railroad crossings

Residents living near railroad crossings in Wyoming will soon be getting a break from the noise.

This summer the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will begin analyzing the state’s noisiest crossings to determine what is needed to make these areas quieter.

The assessments come as a result of a bill that the state legislature recently passed to create quiet zones at railroad intersections.

Lawmakers appropriated $5 million to fund the improvements and local communities would be required to match anywhere from 5 to 50 percent of the project costs depending on the value of the county where the crossing is located.

A 2009 study identified the state’s most disruptive railroad crossings in communities with a population of more than 100 people and more than two trains passing through each day. It found several communities in need of quiet zones including Gillette, Laramie, Torrington, Casper, and Sheridan. Gillette and Sheridan have already begun work on their own quiet zone projects ahead of the state’s efforts.

Gregg Fredrick, the assistant chief engineer of WYDOT, explained that the quiet zone project is “both a quality of life and a safety issue.”

“The community is going to benefit from not having the trains sound their horns at each crossing, but the safety at these crossings will not be diminished,” he said.

To minimize noise, state transportation officials are considering installing directional wayside horns, two-quadrant gates with medians or four-quadrant gate systems. These measures could help to eliminate the need for trains to blow their horns as they approach crossings.

The diagnostics will be completed by teams consisting of WYDOT officials, railroad company representatives, Federal Railroad Administration specialists, and members of the local community.

Once the analysis has been completed and all relevant stakeholders have agreed upon a plan, officials will begin awarding contracts for the design and construction of the projects.