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9/18/2024
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.2 million grant to the city of Columbia, Missouri, for railway infrastructure improvements needed to support commercial growth in the region, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced yesterday.
The grant funds will be used to fund a project that will expand and improve the rail corridor to allow for heavier, more cost-efficient freight to move through the region. The EDA grant will be matched with $800,000 in local funds and is expected to generate $23 million in private investment.
“This EDA investment will provide the infrastructure to expand and improve commercial freight opportunities, helping connect the local businesses to national and global markets and growing the regional economy," Raimondo said in a press release.
The project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission (Mid-MO RPC). EDA funds Mid-MO RPC to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
Owned by the city of Columbia and operated by City of Columbia Utilities, COLT Railroad and Transload provides various rail and transloading services. The short line interchanges with Norfolk Southern Railway.