The lore in this area – New York’s Capital-Saratoga region – has been that the only at-grade railroad crossing of an interstate highway was in Albany County on Interstate Route 87 just south of where the highway crossed the Mohawk River. A New York Central branch – original Troy & Schenectady RR – crossed I-87, the Adirondack Northway at grade. This rail line was being considerd for abandonment at the time and it was not deemed economically wise to buld a separated crossing. The crossing was equipped with highway warning devices – flashing lights. I know it existed, I drove over it many times. The rail line was indeed abandoned and the track removed many years ago.
I remember being on vacation with my family waayyy back in '74, in New York, we were driving on an interstate and I distinctly remember driving over a railroad crossing, at highway speeds. I wonder if it was the same one you are talking about. We visited the Albany area that year on our way to Vermont to visit Steamtown, in Bellows Falls. I was 8 at the time, and don’t remember much else, but, I do remember that railroad crossing.
Here’s another…according to Herbert Harwood’s book, “Rails to the Blue Ridge”, the Washington & Old Dominion crossed the Shirley Highway (I-95) in Arlington, Virginia. Page 101 shows the results of a train/truck collision.
Meanwhile, in California, there used to be something similar. Near Stockton, on California Route 99 (formerly US 99), there was a grade crossing over the freeway. (While not an interstate, it is a multi-lane limited access highway). They got around the “no grade crossings on freeways” with a technicality: The roadside signs in quick succession were “End Freeway”, then the grade crossing (gates and flashers), and on the far side of the crossing was a “Begin Freeway” sign…I recall seeing this in the mid 70s. Same as Photog’s comment above; we crossed over these at highway speeds…
but the Shirley Highway was not an interstate when the W&OD operated.
I was going by the author’s caption and a 1973 DC map (5 years after the W&OD quit). Did the highway only get an interstate designation after the rail line was abandoned?
I’m not sure when it was an interstate or when it wasn’t, but it was always a highway. From 1965 to 1975, the Shirley Highway was reconstructed to interstate standards, and I’ve seen photos of the trains crossing the road but I don’t know whether it was during “interstate” time or “reconstruction” time.