Cochise County's Bowie railroad crossing will be designated a "quiet zone" after complaints from residents regarding the excessive noise from the 40 trains that use the Central Avenue crossing each day.
According to the county, the Bowie crossing will be officially designated by the Federal Railroad Administration as a quite zone once upgrades are completed by the County's Highways & Floodplain Department. The designation will mean trains approaching the crossing will not have to give a warning sound unless the engineer finds it absolutely necessary.
"Following complaints from residents about the noise from the 40 trains using the crossing at Central Avenue on a daily basis, the County agreed to address the issue," the county said in its statement.
The county also received approval from the Arizona Corporation Commission to install two 100-foot raised medians at the railroad crossing approaches for safety purposes. According to the county, the medians are designed to stop traffic from driving through the crossing when the crossing guards are down. The medians will also help keep vehicles within their own lane, the county said.
Construction of the medians is slated to start this month with a projected cost of $35,000, according to the county.