The Belleville Street railroad crossing in Evergreen is fully operational following installation of signalized gates the Alabama Department of Transportation announced today.

The Belleville Street crossing is one of nine crossings the Alabama Department of Transportation has upgraded in the last 12 months. The crossing, just off U.S. Highway 31, has been signalized with flashing lights for several years. The crossing now has signalized gates, plus a traffic signal at Belleville Street’s intersection with U.S. 31.

Warning devices at crossings are only effective if drivers obey the signals.

“Although this particular crossing has had a number of serious crashes within the last five years, the majority of those crashes occurred due to drivers driving across the train tracks even when the warning lights were flashing,” said ALDOT spokesperson Tony Harris.

Alabama receives about $4.5 million in federal funding annually for rail safety projects. ALDOT plans to upgrade 20 more identified crossings in 2014.