Fortuna Road's train crossing just got $2 million. Here's what that buys, and what it doesn't.

If you live in the Foothills, you already know the Fortuna Road crossing. You know the parked train. You know the detour.

On Thursday, the federal government put $2 million toward fixing it.

Before anybody gets excited: that money doesn't build anything. It pays for plans.

Here's what it buys, what it doesn't, and how far this thing still has to go.

The problem

The crossing is where Fortuna Road, also known as Avenue 11E, meets the Union Pacific tracks near Highway 95.

According to the Yuma Sun, County Engineer Frank Sanchez told supervisors the crossing has had two problems for years. Trains park across the road. And storms knock out the electrical systems that run the gates and signals. When the signals fail, the crossing shuts down for safety. Repairs can take a couple of days. Then the next storm can bring the problem right back.

The county's resolution on the crossing cites multi-day shutdowns in 2025. Supervisors told KYMA in January they'd gotten hundreds of complaints.

It isn't just a commute problem. The crossing is a main route to Yuma Proving Ground and the Martinez Lake area. It's a bypass when Interstate 8 closes. And it's the way emergency crews get from Highway 95 into the Foothills.

Supervisor Martin Porchas said it plainly at that meeting: "Sometimes it just takes a few minutes to save a life."

So in early January, supervisors unanimously passed a resolution asking Union Pacific and the Federal Railroad Administration to make permanent repairs to the crossing's electrical and signal systems. They sent it to Arizona's congressional delegation and asked for help.

The Yuma Sun's story on that vote didn't include a response from Union Pacific. Neither did any other coverage I found.

What the $2 million buys

The money comes from the Federal Railroad Administration's Railroad Crossing Elimination program. The award is for "development and final design" at Fortuna Road.

In plain English: engineers work out exactly what to build, do the environmental review and draw the final plans.

County staff estimated that phase at about $2.5 million. The county agreed in June to put up a $500,000 match from its Highway User Revenue Fund, which is state gas tax and vehicle fee money shared with counties and cities.

Two million federal, half a million local. That's the $2.5 million.

What it doesn't buy

Construction. There's no construction money, no published cost estimate and no timeline. Porchas called the award a step "bringing us closer to construction." Closer is the right word.

A decision on what to build. That's a separate study, and it isn't done. In January 2025, the county got $640,000 in federal planning money to study three crossings: Avenue 9E, Fortuna Road and County 29E. Yuma County, the City of Yuma and Wellton are splitting the 20 percent match. That study, called a design concept report, is supposed to weigh the options. As of June, county engineering was still preparing to hire consultants to do it, according to the Yuma Sun. County staff said early signs pointed to an overpass. The consultants make the call.

A fix for this winter. The design money doesn't touch the parked trains or the signals. Those are Union Pacific's tracks, equipment and operations. Porchas has called it a federal railroad issue beyond the county's control.

How we got here

• Aug. 2024: After complaints about long trains at Avenue 9E and Fortuna Road, Yuma County said it would apply for federal money to study the crossings.
• Jan. 2025: The FRA awarded the county $640,000 to study three crossings.
• Early Jan. 2026: Supervisors passed a resolution asking Union Pacific and federal agencies for permanent repairs.
• June 1, 2026: Supervisors approved applying for $2 million in design money and committed the $500,000 match.
• Nov. 5, 2026: The FRA selected the project for up to $2 million.

What's next

First, the design concept report has to pick a fix. Then the final design this grant pays for. Then somebody has to find the construction money, which for an overpass is a much bigger number than any of these.

Credit where it's due. The county asked for exactly this money in June, and it came through in November. That's how this is supposed to work.

But the next time it storms, the crossing can still shut down. The next parked train can still block the road. The $2 million moves the long fix forward. It doesn't touch the short one.

Still unanswered

• When will the design concept report be finished?
• Has Union Pacific committed to permanent repairs to the crossing's signals?
• Has Union Pacific responded to the county's resolution at all?

If any of those answers shows up in the public record, I'll add it here.

Where this comes from

• FRA awards $1.24 billion for grade crossing projects, Trains, via Yahoo News. Reporting on the FRA award list. Source for the $2 million and its purpose.
• Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego announce federal funding to improve Fortuna Railroad, KYMA, Nov. 5, 2026. Reporting on the senators' press release. Source for Porchas's statement on the award.
• County urges Union Pacific to fix Fortuna railroad crossing, Yuma Sun. Reporting on the board's resolution vote. Source for the two causes, the 2025 shutdowns, emergency and route impacts, Porchas's quote and the absence of a Union Pacific response.
• Yuma County looking for solution for Fortuna railroad crossing near Highway 95, KYMA, Jan. 8, 2026. Reporting. Source for the hundreds of complaints and the January timing of the resolution.
• County seeks grant to fix Fortuna Road crossing, Yuma Sun. Reporting on the June 1 board meeting. Source for the $2.5 million estimate, the $500,000 HURF match, the design concept report status and the overpass indication.
• Yuma County Seeks Grant for Railroad Crossing Project, AZBEX, June 23, 2026. Construction trade reporting. Confirms the 2026 application and the I-8 bypass role.
• FY 2023-2024 Railroad Crossing Elimination selections, Federal Railroad Administration. Official record. Source for the $640,000 planning award, the three crossings and the shared 20 percent match.
• County looks to reduce railroad track traffic, KYMA, Aug. 12, 2024. Reporting. Source for the August 2024 start of the grant effort.

Correction, Nov. 8, 2026: An earlier version said the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $2 million for the Fortuna Road crossing. The FRA's project list says up to $2 million.