Two projects to make two Alabama railroad crossing safer are being funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Washington Post identifies the two crossings as being in Pelham, near Birmingham:

"Pelham, Ala., will use its $41.7 million grant to build a bridge over two crossings on County Road 52 in the heart of the city that officials say are frequently blocked, leaving first responders unable to access half the city."

The $570-Million in grants this year will improve safety at 400 crossings...a tiny per-centage of the nation's crossings.

Complicating the issue is the increasing lengths of trains on the tracks. The post reports there were:

"2,200 grade-crossing incidents resulted in 276 deaths and 800 injuries last year".