A railroad crossing on Lockwood Drive in east Houston is set to receive more than $10 million in federal funding, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The money comes from the agency's Railroad Crossing Elimination/Crossing Safety Program. The FRA said the project was chosen for what is called a future grade separation.
Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia told ABC13 that the goal is an underpass, so that cars and trains would no longer cross at the same level. The FRA said the project will remove a crossing that is often blocked by trains, which causes delays in emergency response times. Data reviewed by 13 Investigates showed the FRA received 23,000 complaints since 2021 about stalled trains blocking intersections in Houston. Most of those complaints involved crossings on the east side, including Eastwood Street, Leeland and South Lockwood. Many complaints said emergency vehicles could not get through.
Garcia said the federal money covers only the design phase. Additional funding will need to be secured in the future to pay for construction. No timeline has been set for the project.