Safety Gates Installed At West Redding Railroad Crossing

REDDING, Conn. – Crossing gates are now in place at the site of a fatal collision between a train and a car late last year near the West Redding train station, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Crews respond to a fatal accident at Long Ridge Road and the Danbury Line in Redding in December.
Photo Credit: *Alissa Smith (File)*

by Greg Canuel

04/10/2013 1:00 p.m.

The DOT installed the gates recently on Long Ridge Road, where the street meets the Metro North Danbury Line on a grade. Two people were killed in an accident there on Dec. 30.

The DOT had originally planned to install the gates as part of a larger project that would have rearranged the intersection, Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said in a statement. The project was delayed by right-of-way and environmental issues to 2014, he added.

After the collision in December, the DOT decided to install the lift gates immediately. The gates, complete with flashing light to warn of a train coming, are now installed. The gates will be moved to the new site when the larger renovation is finished, Redeker said.

“I would like to thank the DOT for taking swift action in installing these gates within months of the tragic Dec. 30 accident,” Redding State Rep. Dan Carter said in a statement when the project was announced. “It’s critical that we ensure safety within our communities and provide peace of mind to area commuters."

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