Railroad crossing in Mount Carmel to be closed for construction

A portion of Route 54 (Locust Gap Highway) in Mount Carmel Township will be closed to traffic for railroad crossing work from July 15 to 22.

The existing crossing is deteriorated, and the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) and its private operator, Shamokin Valley Railroad, will replace it with a new concrete grade crossing.

Motorists can expect Route 54 to be closed between the intersection of Brennan’s Farm Road and Locust Gap Highway and the intersection of Route 54 with Route 901 in Mount Carmel Township.

Motorists will be directed to a detour using Routes 901 and 61. Motorists are urged to slow down, be alert, and expect delays in travel.

Jannotti Rail Consulting Inc. of Russell is the track engineer and K.W. REESE of Mercersburg is the contractor. The SEDA-COG JRA owns the track and Shamokin Valley Railroad is the operator.

The SEDA-COG JRA was formed in 1983 by the forward-looking efforts of its eight member counties to save rail lines and service abandoned by Conrail. The JRA’s public-private partnership was recognized by the World Bank as a model for public-private partnerships to stimulate rural economic development. Since 2004, the JRA has invested or leveraged over $46 million in rail capital projects with over 40 public and private partners. For more information, visit www.sedacograil.org.