So does replacing a railroad crossing with a very steep bridge pose another safety threat?

Question

In the town of Belen, NM they replaced a railroad crossing with a very steep bridge. I mean it literally looks like a roller coster track. It was in a residential area near the railyard, lots of trains would pass through this crossing. So now considering there are crazy drivers that go through that road frequently as well as winter conditions doesn't that create another safety threat?

Answer 1

Everything is a safety threat. You could get electrocuted turning on your computer.

But considering the alternative, eliminating a crossing is always a good idea.

I admit that the crossing you describe is a hazard but you are more likely to survive a fender bender than a train collision.

Answer 2

The American Association of Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has standards for the minimum horizontal sight distance (K-value) required for vertical curves based on a given design speed.  These values have proven to be safe in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) studies for the last 30+ years.

A Grade Separation Project as you describe eliminates the potential conflict between rail traffic and highway traffic.  Because the two facilities are "at grade"; at the same grade, it is not simple to separate them to where you have a 23'-0" vertical clearance from the top of rail to the low chord (bottom) of the bridge superstructure.  However, if it is designed within the aforementioned k-values, the structure is as safe as any other.

Crazy drivers are a law-enforcement issue, not a design issue.

On average, in this country, nearly two (2) people a day die in a train related accident.  The majority of those are people crossing at public at-grade railway crossings, often driving around flashing gates.  There is no greater safety threat on our roads.

Answer 3

Let's just call it the "lesser of two evils."

Answer 4

They can clone sheep and send people to the moon.  I'm sure they can build a safe bridge without too much difficulty.  It's the city keeping up with maintenance that you have to worry about.