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Jonesboro installs train crossing beacons to alert drivers, 911 dispatchers JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - The city of Jonesboro is installing beacons at strategic intersections to alert drivers and 911 dispatchers the moment a train blocks a road. The project is an agreement with the city of Jonesboro, the TRAINFO corporation, and the Arkansas Department of Transportation. Beacons will be installed at Nettleton Avenue and Oakdale Street, Red Wolf Boulevard and Riggs Street, Red Wolf Boulevard and Stallings Lane, and Red Wolf Boulevard and Aggie Road. Digital message boards will be installed at Henson Road and Dan Avenue, east and west of East Johnson Avenue, Gee Street north of Washington Avenue, and Industrial Drive and Highland Drive. City engineer Zane Baccari said the beacons and digital message boards are designed to respond quickly to alert drivers well before they get to a railroad crossing. “They have around a 5-second response time, so within five seconds of a train blocking the crossing or a train clearing the crossing — within five seconds, they should be able to receive that information and not just update 911 dispatching services but also drivers,” Baccari said. Lit beacons will signal to drivers that a train is crossing near an intersection. Digital message boards will also display real-time alerts through text. “And if that is lit up, it tells the driver ‘I might not want to turn right here because there’s a train,’” Baccari said. Baccari said train delays at crossings create problems for emergency responders. “There’s several crossings where a train, not just passing through but at a change over point or something — a train’s speed could reduce or even stop, and so for 911 services that creates an issue,” he said. According to a proposal by TRAINFO, the company deploying the beacons, Jonesboro has more than 50 railroad crossings, with more than 5,000 vehicles crossing them each day. TRAINFO said its beacons have reduced traffic delays by 30% and vehicle interactions by 20%. “Living here in Jonesboro, I live here, everyone who is using the roads has been stopped by a train, has experienced that delay,” Baccari said. Baccari said the city’s goal is straightforward. “Hopefully this is something that can benefit all the citizens of Jonesboro in getting them where they need to go quicker,” he said. The city has completed the software setup for the beacons and is now working on physically installing them. To report a typo or correction, please click here. Copyright 2026 KAIT. All rights reserved.