Study Underway to Improve Chester Railroad Crossing Safety

TL;DR: Chesterfield County is conducting a study to improve safety at the Curtis and West Street railroad crossing in Chester, with findings expected in 2028 to guide selection between overpass and underpass solutions.

The story

The Chesterfield Transportation Department is undertaking a comprehensive study to address decades of safety concerns at the Curtis and West Street railroad crossings in Chester. The crossing has been a crash hotspot for more than a decade due to hazardous design features, including sharp hairpin turns and a steep grade intersection that create dangerous conditions for drivers navigating the rail line.

The study, funded by approximately $2.3 million in federal money the county received in August 2026, will examine environmental, engineering, traffic, and planning factors over the next 18 months. Engineers are evaluating two main alternatives: constructing an overpass or an underpass to eliminate vehicle-train conflicts altogether. The Virginia Department of Transportation ranks the Curtis Street crossing as the second-highest priority in the commonwealth based on expected collision costs and safety metrics.

Once the study is complete, expected in early 2028, engineers will present findings detailing both alternatives along with their costs and impacts. Public input on those findings is anticipated to begin shortly after. Under the current plan, the West Street crossing would be converted to pedestrian and bicycle use only, with vehicle traffic redirected to the improved Curtis Street crossing once construction funding becomes available.

Key players

• Chesterfield Transportation Department: Conducting the safety study and coordinating improvements
• Nate Mathis: Principal engineer overseeing the project

Key dates

• Early 2028: Study findings expected; public input period begins

Why it matters: The Curtis Street crossing has been identified as a major collision risk for more than a decade, threatening the safety of residents and commuters in Chester. Federal investment in this study represents a concrete step toward eliminating a hazard that has made the intersection one of the state's most dangerous rail crossings.

Places

• Curtis Street
• West Street
• Chester

Related links

• Chesterfield County news and alerts
• Board of Supervisors Roundup

Read the original at NBC12 / WWBT News →

Sources

• Study underway to make safety improvements at Chester railroad crossing
• Chesterfield receives federal funding for railroad crossing improvements