The Bryan County Commissioners approved two items, opened bids for a construction project to improve Sawmill Road and tabled the awarding of bids on the Bryan County Community Assistance Center heating and cooling system at Monday’s meeting at the Bryan County Courthouse.

The commissioners first passed a resolution for the installation of flashing lights and crossing arms at a rural railroad track crossing on R.L. Williams Road. According to the railroad company, there have been three separate train and car collisions at the crossing recently, so the need is there to put up the lights and arms.

“We have already put in crossing warning signs up on the road, but the railroad has recommended we take this extra step,” County Commissioner District No. 1 Monty Montgomery said.

Montgomery was surprised at the number of accidents at that particular crossing and said he did not see how the commissioners could deny the request.

Federal money will pay 90 percent of the total cost of $366,000, with a 10-percent match by the county and the railroad company.

Also approved was a request from Sheriff Bill Sturch and the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office to purchase a new police “pursuit” vehicle. The $24,048 Chevy Tahoe will be paid for out of county coffers until the money is reimbursed by a federal grant already awarded to the Sheriff’s Department.

Two separate bids were opened for the Sawmill Road improvement project, which will be from Armstrong Road to just south of the railroad crossing. The commissioners will award the bid after having engineers look over the two proposals.

The heating and cooling system bids were tabled so a couple of the companies could rework their bids. The grant money awarded for the upgrade had requirements that were not figured into the original bids.