Two railroad crossings in and around Fort Worth are in line for federal money under a round of crossing-safety grants announced Friday, including $46 million toward an overpass that would lift Ranch-to-Market Road 2871 over Union Pacific tracks on the city's west side.
The Federal Railroad Administration awarded about $1.24 billion through its Railroad Crossing Elimination grants, picking 91 projects in 37 states out of 264 applications that together sought $4.9 billion, Trains magazine reported. Texas had eight projects chosen, more than any other state. Recipients have to put up at least 20% of a project's cost.
The two Fort Worth-area awards
The largest local grant goes to the Texas Department of Transportation: $46 million to design and build an overpass carrying RM 2871 over the Union Pacific line and Aledo Road in Fort Worth.
The bridge is tied to a larger TxDOT plan to rebuild about 5 miles of RM 2871 between US 377 and Interstate 30, turning a two-lane road into a four-lane divided one with a raised median, turn bays, and walking and biking space on both sides.
TxDOT's project page lists the overpass as an improvement being evaluated and puts the estimated construction cost of the whole project at $198 million. That page, which predates the grant, also says the project is "not currently funded for construction." TxDOT held a public hearing on the plan in December 2023.
The second award, $5.6 million, goes to Tarrant County for development and final design work to eliminate a BNSF grade crossing in Fort Worth and Haslet. The announcement as reported does not name the road; the money pays for design, not construction.
