Railroad crossing systems have changed over the years, from nothing at all to using wood, to asphalt, to rubber crossing. Typically, those systems were installed right on top of the ballasted railroad ties.
Today, the most common railroad crossings are made of precast concrete. Precast offers many advantages. Like the other systems, Precast can be installed on top of railroad ties, however, several Precast systems can be installed on a road base. Installing a Precast system on a road base is a much better long-term solution. Because of their durability, speed of installation, and flexibility, Precast has become the most popular option.
- Highway-Rail Grade Crossings A highway-rail grade crossing is an intersection where a roadway crosses railroad tracks at the same level or grade. Such crossings may be encountered on both public and private roads. There are more than 250,000 such crossings in the U.S.
- Railroad crossing systems have changed over the years, from nothing at all to using wood, to asphalt, to rubber crossing. Typically, those systems were installed right on top of the ballasted railroad ties. Today, the most common railroad crossings are made of precast concrete. Precast offers many advantages.
For these primary reasons, precast concrete crossings are the ideal solution. Precast systems can be placed much faster. Where cast in place concrete would shut down the line for days, precast pieces can be laid in place and affixed to the track in a day or two, or less depending on the size and complexity of the crossing.
(1) A streetcar crossing, or railroad tracks used exclusively for industrial switching purposes, within a business district, as defined in § 390.5 of this chapter. (2) A railroad grade crossing when a police officer or crossing flagman directs traffic to proceed.
Although the crossings are long-lasting, track materials in and around the crossing may not be. For this reason, precast systems are manufactured so that post-installation maintenance can be performed.
In addition to the crossing themselves, we make precast box culverts large enough to allow passage underneath the track and strong enough to handle vehicle and train weight. In places where track must cross over streams or other short spans, Columbia Precast creates three-sided bridges. As durable as box culverts, these bridges have a smaller footprint and cause less disruption to the surrounding area or waterway.
We manufacture precast products in a controlled environment to ensure our customers get the highest-quality crossing pads, culverts, and bridges. We strength test all of our pieces after the appropriate amount of hardening and strengthening has occurred. That way our pieces are ready to go when you are.
Railroad Crossings Around The World
Columbia Precast Concrete has continually worked to improve our railroad crossing designs. Using support services required for the most advanced projects, we’ve completed major customized jobs with local partners. Our pieces have been used in both private and public applications.
No matter if you need complex pads, several bridges, or large culverts to complete your railroad crossings, Columbia Precast Products is the premier concrete company in the Pacific Northwest. Contact us today for an estimate on your railroad crossing needs – we look forward to hearing from you!
It’s not the prettiest or most welcoming walk/bike facility in Burbank, but Caltrans and Metro recently opened a new pedestrian bridge near Providencia Avenue in downtown Burbank. The facility does not cross the 5 Freeway, but hugs the side of the 5 while crossing railroad tracks.
The bike/ped crossing is part of Metro and Caltrans’ $1.3+ billion widening of the North 5 Freeway. That project is five years late and millions over budget. Though earlier Metro had refused to pay cost overruns that Caltrans is on the hook for, next week the Metro board Construction Committee will vote on a staff recommendation (page 12) to approve Metro paying an additional $73.2 million for the mega-project.
New pedestrian crossing at I-5 and Providencia Avenue in Burbank is open! Construction of this pedestrian bridge is part of the I-5 carpool lanes (HOV or High Occupancy Vehicle) widening project in #Burbank and #Glendale. More information at https://t.co/xA5vA0DF0ipic.twitter.com/SFVxbrGEej
— 5 FWY LA County (@My5LA) November 16, 2020
The new walk/bike crossing replaces an earlier pedestrian bridge with more-or-less the same start and end points. The north end of the facility is on Bonnywood Place, very close to the Burbank Ikea. The south end of the bridge is on Flower Street, just east of Providencia.
Railroad Crossings For Sale
The new path runs parallel to – and within just a dozen feet of – car and truck traffic on the 5 Freeway, meaning users are subject to plenty of noise, pollution, and particulate dust. Though the facility has some utility and preserves earlier walk/bike access, it’s the kind of hellscape that only a freeway traffic engineer can love.