(Media release from the Georgia Department of Transportation):
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) recently installed signs along Highway 41 to alert drivers of trains going through downtown Cartersville so motorists can pick an alternate route if they need to cross the train tracks.
The signs are activated when a train passes through downtown. GDOT also installed signs directing traffic to use the bridges on Church Street and South Bridge Drive to get over the railroad while the train is on the tracks.
“Drivers in Cartersville can tell you that when the train comes through it can cause issues with traffic in the area,” said GDOT District Six Engineer Grant Waldrop. “These signs will help alert motorists before they get stuck waiting for the train to pass. It’s especially helpful when the train is stopped in downtown.”
Waldrop said the project has received a lot of praise so far from the public.
“The response has been overwhelming positive,” Waldrop said. “Having to wait at a railroad crossing can be time-consuming and cause traffic backups. These signs have helped ease some of those headaches.”