SUFFOLK, Va. - A new “Train Ahead When Flashing” sign has been installed near the intersection of North Broad Street and West Constance Road. The sign will alert drivers that the intersection is closed due to an incoming train.
The Suffolk Public Works Traffic Engineering Division installed the new sign to provide drivers with an opportunity to take an alternate route to avoid the train altogether. The alternate route will be a left turn onto Broad Street which leads to a bridge that takes you over the tracks entirely.
Suffolk officials said the railroad crossing on West Constance Road caught many by surprise since it is out of sight when approaching from North Main Street.
The installation comes a month after a fatal crash took place in Suffolk when a man crossed railroad tracks in an area with sign.
Related: Amtrak train collides with vehicle in Downtown Suffolk
Within the next few months, Suffolk plans to install several more signs around the Downtown area in order to warn drivers of oncoming trains with enough time to divert to another route. Signs will be installed on southbound Main Street before the Constance Road intersection and on East Constance Road, the City of Suffolk announced Friday.
