Item:
Title
Authorize the County Manager to Award a Contract to HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas in the Amount of $1,524,565.00 to Develop the East Durham Rail Crossing Study
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: December 8, 2025
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to authorize the County Manager to award a contract to HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas in the amount of $1,524,565.00 to develop the East Durham Rail Crossing Study. The East Durham Rail Crossing Study will entail planning and project development activities to grade separate, close, and/or improve safety through other alternatives identified through the planning process for three adjacent crossings (Driver Street, Plum Street, and Ellis Road) in East Durham. Over the 25-year period between 1997 and 2022, there were 19 crashes causing three fatalities and nine injuries at these three crossings.
Durham County successfully applied in 2022 for a Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for this study. The FRA funds were approved in an agreement in December 2024. The project cost is $1,524,565, which includes the $1,220,000 received as part of the RCE grant, and the $305,000 local match. The local match will be reimbursed through funding from the Durham County Transit Plan.
The study supports future design and construction of improvements that will significantly improve safety within Durham County, enhance pedestrian and cyclist access options, reduce congestion associated with queuing at at-grade crossings, and facilitate further passenger rail improvements in the state. The project will include an equitable community engagement effort to facilitate the selection of a preferred solution that is responsive to the needs of the residents and businesses of this area.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This project is in accordance with Durham County Strategic Plan Goal 1: Regional Leadership, as this project will further objectiv...
Click here for full text