The purpose of the PROJECT funded under the FY 2023-2024 railroad crossing elimination program (RCE) is for planning for the mckinley COUNTY-BNSF rail crossing elimination grant application (PROJECT)

The County of McKinley received a $4.14 million Project Grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Program (CFDA 20.327), awarded May 1, 2025, with a completion date of February 29, 2028. This planning grant funds a cooperative effort between McKinley County and BNSF Railway to conduct comprehensive analysis and identification of preferred alternatives for grade separation improvements across approximately eight existing railroad-highway crossings located in McKinley and Cibola Counties along the BNSF Southern Transcontinental Rail Corridor. The deliverables include identification, analysis, and selection of optimal crossing improvement alternatives designed to enhance safety, improve mobility of people and goods, and support sustainable community growth.

This planning phase supports potential future construction activities by evaluating multiple grade separation options at the county and municipal road-rail interfaces. The grant aligns with the RCE Program's core objectives of eliminating hazardous at-grade crossings, improving transportation safety, and reducing conflicts between freight rail operations and community access. Funding will be disbursed as project milestones are achieved through the cooperative agreement structure established between the FRA and McKinley County.

The PROJECT will accomplish completing the working under the RCE grant program. Mckinley COUNTY (COUNTY) and BNSF railway (BNSF) have cooperatively decided to study the potential multiple grade separations in the COUNTY to improve safety, mobility of people and goods, and facilitate sustainable growth in the community and surrounding areas in the future. The PROJECT will comprise of the identification analysis and selection of preferred crossing improvement alternatives for approximately eight existing crossings in mckinley and cibola counties, where COUNTY and municipal roads interface at grade with the BNSF southern transcontinental rail corridor between chicago, IL, and southern california.