Site work is under way, four months ahead of schedule, for railroad crossing arms at the Ignico Drive railroad crossing in Warner Robins.

An email from Norfolk Southern spokeswoman Susan Terpay says the state and the company have "expedited" the gates, which should be in place by the end of August.

Today, a bulldozer was doing ground work at the crossing, which was the scene of a Memorial Day weekend fatal accident

On May 27, Donnelle Reid, 31, and her 7-week-old daughter, Kinsley Reid, were killed when the car they were in was hit by a Norfolk Southern train. The state says over the last five years, there have been five accidents and four fatalities at the crossing.

The latest accident caused protests by people who said the state and Norfolk Southern should install crossing gates.

But this spring, the Georgia Department of Transportation says it has given Norfolk Southern said that could be by November or as late as next April, due to the lengthy bureaucratic process.

This week, Warner Robins Mayor Shaheen forwarded a chain of emails among city and railroad officials that says the state has authorized work on the crossing and that Norfolk Southern has ordered materials.

In one of the emails, city engineer Walter Gray told Shaheen that the process was four months ahead of schedule and that the crossing gates could be in place by Thanksgiving.

Check back with 13WMAZ.com for updates on this story today.