Norwood Park is seeing new safety improvements at a dangerous Nagle Avenue Metra crossing that has been the site of multiple deaths in recent years. Union Pacific, which owns the rail line, began installing a four-quadrant gate system at the crossing on July 6. The new gate system will fully close off the rail crossing and have a time delay to avoid trapping vehicles.
Safety Concerns
Since 2010, there have been 12 collisions at the crossing, including four that were fatal, according to data from Metra. The majority of crashes involved a car, though one collision in 2010 injured a pedestrian, while in 2022 a train hit a CTA bus, injuring the driver.
Union Pacific cautions drivers to stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail when a train is approaching and to exit their car and dial 911 if their vehicle stalls on the tracks. More train safety information is available.
In addition to the four-quadrant gate system, Union Pacific is installing new tracks, fresh concrete, and asphalt. Construction is expected to be completed by July 27. Nagle Avenue will be closed during construction, and Metra trains may experience delays of up to 15 minutes.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
