The longest crossing on the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad is on North Bend Way. It is 210 feet long and carries over 8,000 highway vehicles per day traveling at 50 mph.  

This heavy traffic really took its toll on the asphalt and huge chunks were beginning to break loose.  It was rough for trains too resulting in a reduced track speed of 5 mph.  And these poor track conditions were causing serious problems for the crossing signals.  

Recognizing the need to improve safety, the Northwest Railway Museum and the City of North Bend secured a grant to upgrade the North Bend Way signal system.  Funding was provided by the Federal Highways Administration and was administered by Washington State Department of Transportation   This safety improvement grant included funding for installation of new welded rail throughout the limits of the crossing.  

Also contributing to this project was King County.  Crossing safety grants cannot be used for crossing surface replacement so King County donated the installation of a new asphalt crossing surface.

Work began in mid August 2001 with a rail welding crew.  Individual pieces of rail were "thermite" welded into a continuous length of 250 feet.  This continuous ribbon of rail allows crossing signals to work more reliably.  It also makes the crossing surface smoother for highway vehicles and trains.