North Ridgeville’s current project page says ODOT and the Ohio Rail Development Commission are conducting a feasibility study with the City for the Race Road and Maddock Road rail crossings. Earlier public records describe a proposed Race Road overpass, closure of the Maddock Road crossing, and a $33 million grant-application funding table.
The reviewed records do not establish an awarded $33 million package, a final alignment, an environmental decision, a construction contract, a crossing-closure date, or a start of construction. The project is best described at the feasibility stage unless a newer agency record documents a later milestone.
Three records, three purposes
| Record | What it documents | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| State grant narrative | Proposed bridge/closure concept, purpose, and application funding table | Funding award, executed agreement, or final design |
| Regional active-transportation plan | Race/Maddock corridor analysis and pedestrian/bicycle planning context | Selected rail alternative or construction authorization |
| City 2026 update | Current feasibility work, agency partners, and anticipated outreach | Final alignment, property impact, contract, or construction date |
The most recent City description controls the present-tense stage. The earlier records remain useful for understanding what is being studied and how the proposal was framed.
The State application describes a proposed overpass and closure
The Rail Crossing Elimination narrative proposes replacing the Race Road at-grade crossing with an overpass and closing the Maddock Road at-grade crossing. It says those crossings are the two north-south routes across the rail corridor between State Route 83 and U.S. 20 in an approximately three-mile stretch.
The narrative attributes more than 80 daily freight trains and four daily Amtrak trains to the corridor and describes delays affecting traffic and emergency response. Those are applicant statements in a public funding record. Local Service Ledger did not perform a train count or response-time study.
The application also includes project-development and final-design/construction elements. That is the scope of a request, not proof that every element has been selected, funded, or authorized to build.
What the $33 million table actually says
The application lists four contributions:
| Application source | Listed amount | Displayed share |
|---|---|---|
| Federal RCE request | $26,250,000 | 80% |
| Ohio Rail Development Commission | $3,300,000 | 10% |
| North Ridgeville | $3,300,000 | 10% |
| Norfolk Southern | $150,000 | Less than 1% |
| Total of listed dollars | $33,000,000 | Application presentation uses rounded shares |
The four dollar amounts add to $33 million. Calculated against that total, they are approximately 79.55%, 10%, 10%, and 0.45%. The record displays the first three as 80%, 10%, and 10% and the railroad share as less than 1%, so its percentages are rounded presentation—not four exact shares meant to sum to precisely 100%.
Most importantly, this is an application table. It should not be described as awarded funding, money on hand, an executed financing package, paid-to-date cost, or final project price.
The regional plan keeps the corridor question open
The North Ridgeville Active Transportation Plan evaluates Race and Maddock roads as possible western connections. It notes the lack of pedestrian accommodations at their rail crossings and says a future study would look at a possible Race Road realignment and possible closure of the Maddock crossing.
The plan selects Race Road for pedestrian and bicycle improvements in its broader network because of its connections to neighborhoods and local assets. It does not choose a final rail bridge alignment or show construction-level plans.
That record adds a reader-relevant question to the feasibility process: how any grade separation would connect people walking or biking, not only vehicles. It does not answer the question yet.
The City says feasibility work is underway
North Ridgeville’s current Construction Updates page says ODOT and ORDC, working with the City, are conducting a feasibility study to address safety and connectivity at Race and Maddock. It says both at-grade crossings will close as part of the project, alternatives for a grade-separated crossing will be evaluated, and pedestrian/bicycle connections are planned.
The same page anticipates a public open house in fall and says more information will follow as the study advances. “Anticipated” is not a meeting notice. A reader should wait for a date, venue, materials, and comment instructions from the agencies.
The next records that would move the project forward
A later status report should look for these documents separately:
- a grant award and executed funding agreement;
- a feasibility report with alternatives and screening criteria;
- public-meeting materials and a response-to-comments record;
- environmental review and agency decisions;
- a selected alignment and preliminary plans;
- right-of-way and property-impact information;
- final design and funding authorization;
- bid documents, tabulation, and contract award; and
- a notice to proceed plus current closure and access notices.
One of those records should not be used as shorthand for all the others. A funded study is not a funded bridge; a selected alternative is not a construction start.
What residents can document now
For an address or travel decision, record the exact source and date behind each claim. Ask the project team which phase is active, whether an alternative has been selected, how comments can be submitted, and where later documents will be posted. If a property-specific effect matters, request the current project map from the responsible agency rather than drawing a line from the application narrative.
Source and methodology
Local Service Ledger reviewed the State’s grant-application narrative, a regional active-transportation plan, and North Ridgeville’s current project page on August 1, 2026. We summed the four application amounts, calculated their exact shares for comparison with the displayed rounded percentages, and labeled every claim by project stage.
We did not inspect the corridor, count trains, confirm funding, identify a preferred alternative, evaluate safety, or verify property impacts.