The south court street, circleville, ohio grade separation project (project) is a partnership between the ohio rail development commission ( ordc), norfolk southern (NS), the city of circleville…

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded the Rail Development Commission Ohio $25,000,000 on October 1, 2025, to replace an existing at-grade railroad crossing with a grade separation on the Norfolk Southern Heartland Corridor at South Court Street in Circleville, Ohio, under the Railroad Crossing Elimination program (CFDA 20.327).

The project addresses safety and mobility challenges in Circleville, which currently operates 14 at-grade railroad crossings. With an average of 23 trains per day, the crossings cause roadway delays averaging more than 1.5 hours daily and impede emergency services. The grade separation will eliminate the blocking crossing on the busy NS line. The work is a partnership among the Ohio Rail Development Commission, Norfolk Southern, the City of Circleville, and the Ohio Department of Transportation, building on 12 years of preparatory effort that closed three prior crossings.

The period of performance runs through March 31, 2032. Work will be performed in Circleville, Ohio 43113. The award is structured as a project grant with funding obligated upon achievement of project milestones and disbursed through reimbursement.

The south court street, circleville, ohio grade separation project (project) is a partnership between the ohio rail development commission ( ordc), norfolk southern (NS), the city of circleville (city), and the ohio department of transportation (ODOT) to replace an existing at grade crossing with a grade separation on the busy norfolk southern heartland corridor. This application is the result of work over a 12-year span that closed three crossings and provided the community with the resources to apply for this project. The city of circleville faces significant challenges due to 14 at-grade railroad crossings that cause frequent traffic delays and impact emergency services. With an average of 23 trains per day and roadway delays averaging more than 1.5 hours per day, the presence of the railroad is deeply felt in the daily lives of circleville s residents, as well as the residents of the surrounding communities who commute to circleville for work.