SANDPOINT — The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded more than $20 million — the largest grant in Sandpoint's history — to improve railroad crossing safety and transportation connections along the Great Northern Road corridor.

“This is a historic investment in Sandpoint and an extraordinary achievement for a community our size,” said Mayor Jeremy Grimm. “Securing more than $20 million in federal funding gives us an opportunity to address longstanding railroad crossing safety issues while making substantial improvements to Great Northern Road and the surrounding infrastructure." 

The project includes improvements at three crossings. At Gooby Road, work will include realigning the roadway and railroad crossing and installing upgraded active warning gates, flashing lights, and related safety signage. 

Improvements at Woodland Drive will include installing upgraded railroad crossing warning systems, along with roadway intersection improvements to increase the separation between the intersection and railroad tracks. There will also be adjustments to the railroad track profile to improve crossing conditions. 

Mountain View Drive railroad crossing will be permanently closed, with traffic redirected to improved crossings at Gooby Road and Woodland Drive. 

Together, these improvements will create a safer and more reliable transportation network for residents, businesses, emergency responders, and the traveling public, said the press release. 

From safer railroad crossings and improved emergency access to resolving decades-old drainage problems, Grimm said the grant will help fund a project that will benefit the city for generations. 

City officials addressed the concerns of Timberline Estates neighborhood residents, particularly regarding the potential for additional traffic along Goodman Drive with the proposed elimination of the Mountain View Drive railroad crossing. 

Recognizing those concerns, city officials said they intend to continue working with neighborhood residents as the project advances through a final design to evaluate traffic impacts and identify reasonable measures to address them. 

"While we recognize that changes to the Mountain View crossing will affect nearby neighborhoods, the broader community benefits are tremendous. This is exactly the kind of strategic infrastructure investment that will help Sandpoint remain a safe, functional, and economically vibrant community for decades to come,” said Grimm. 

The possibility of closing an existing crossing is not dependent upon receiving federal grant funding, since railroad crossing closures are governed by state law, said city officials. 

The grant is meant to address railroad crossing safety comprehensively, including substantial improvements to the surrounding transportation network, rather than addressing an individual crossing in isolation, said city officials.