The North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR), Norfolk Southern, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are preparing to replace rail lines in Guilford County next month as part of the Carolinian and Piedmont Passenger and Freight Improvements (CAPPFI) initiative. The upcoming rail replacement phase will affect several rail crossings primarily in eastern and central Guilford County with temporary, days-long closures. Crews are expected to begin work in the county in late September to early October.
Rail crossing closures from Gibsonville to Greensboro are expected to last one to five days. During the closures, no vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists will be permitted through the crossings. Drivers should use available detours, follow posted signs, and allow extra travel time. Interfering with or attempting to access a closed rail crossing can be considered a misdemeanor.
Affected county rail crossing locations include Huffine Street, Springwood Avenue, Joyner Street, Power Line Road, Wagner Road, Cullen Road, Colony Road, Frieden Church Road, Fryer GH Crossing, Wagoner Bend Road, Buchanan Church Road, Maxfield Road, Ward Road, Oferrell Street, Franklin Boulevard, Lowdermilk Street, Pine Street, Holts Chapel Road, S. English Street, Gillespie Street, S. Dudley Street, and Elm Street.
Rail, construction, and transportation officials are working with emergency services and Guilford County Schools staff to address potential impacts from planned closures.
The schedule may change based on construction progress, weather, and rail operations. Guilford County will share important updates through the county website at GuilfordCountyNC.gov/RailProject and official Guilford County social media platforms.
CAPPFI is one of nine rail projects funded by the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program administered by the Federal Railroad Administration. The grant includes a $105.6 million federal investment into North Carolina’s rail corridor, funding nine distinct rail improvement projects. NCRR, Norfolk Southern and NCDOT are also investing in the strategic grant projects, bringing the overall project costs to approximately $170 million.
The first project replaces aging rail along portions of the Greensboro-to-Raleigh corridor to improve long-term safety, reliability and performance for both freight and passenger rail.
According to NCRR, “The entire CAPPFI initiative is a generational investment in North Carolina’s rail infrastructure that will strengthen communities, fuel economic growth and improve the state’s transportation network for decades to come.”
For more information about the CAPPFI grant administration and the Rail Replacement Project, contact the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) directly at (919) 954-7601, email info@ncrr.com, or visit NCRR.com/CAPPFI-New-Rail. For more information on the Rail Replacement construction, email Norfolk Southern at media.relations@nscorp.com.