The NC Department of Transportation [NCDOT] has released a drawing of its plan for a new gated railroad crossing at the main intersection in Seven Lakes, where Seven Lakes Drive and Lakeway Drive meet NC Highway 211. Download the plan here.
When a train is approaching, traffic entering Seven Lakes West will be stopped by 30 foot gate, with four two-light assemblies affixed to its mounting structure.
Traffic using one of the two exit lanes from Seven Lakes West will encounter a slightly longer gate, as well as signal lights mounted on a cantilever that extends across both exit lanes of Lakeway Drive. The illustration at right shows a typical railroad crossing cantilever.
Traffic lights at the intersection will be interconnected with the crossing signals (the technical term is “pre-emption”), so that traffic headed for Seven Lakes West will be stopped when a train has the crossing closed.
NCDOT Engineer Nancy Horne told The Times that the Department’s signal group has completed its plan for the traffic signal pre-emption, and the crossing plan has been submitted to the Aberdeen, Carolina, & Western Railway [ACWR], which will design the signal circuitry and, eventually, handle signal construction.
Once a cost estimate from ACWR is in hand and approved by NCDOT, construction can begin.
Horne said that is still several months off, “but we are a lot further along than we were.”
