MOORPARK : 118 to Be Closed for Rail Crossing Repair

Caltrans plans to shut down a portion of California 118 just outside Moorpark later this month to repair a railroad crossing that was ranked last year as the 37th most dangerous crossing in the state.

The highway runs almost parallel to the railroad tracks, and instead of intersecting the tracks perpendicularly like a plus sign, the roadway crosses the railroad at an angle akin to a skewed X.

The configuration has been blamed for contributing to a few head-on collisions over the years, and in January a car driven by an elderly woman was hit by a train.

In addition to the angle of the crossing, cars traveling at highway speeds and the bumpy surface of the road have also contributed to accidents there, officials said.

After a push by local and county officials, the California Department of Transportation and Southern Pacific decided to spend an estimated $100,000 to repair the surface of the crossing and to install concrete pads that do not wear down as quickly as asphalt, said Russell Snyder, a spokesman for Caltrans.

Crews from Caltrans and Southern Pacific railroad will work to smooth out the railroad crossing from 7 a.m. Sept. 30 to 11 p.m. Oct. 1. Crews will divert traffic as they take up old track, railroad ties and the asphalt surrounding them.