Washington state port lets rail bridge contract; Florida port creates intermodal position

Port of Benton commissioners late last month awarded a $1.3 million contract to MJ Hughes Construction to rehabilitate a wood rail bridge over the Columbia Park Trail in Richland, Wash.

The 200-foot-long bridge is used by the Tri-City Railroad Co. A $2.3 million state grant will fund the project, which is slated for completion in spring.

The project calls for replacing wood bridge components with steel and reinforcing steel portions to accommodate heavier loads.

The port owns about 15 miles of track that's leased and maintained by Tri-City Railroad. The port also features a transload facility serving a variety of freight, including agricultural products.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades has named Juan Flores assistant to the port director for intermodal programs, a new position reporting to Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak.

Flores most recently was the freight, logistics and passenger operations administrator for the Florida Department of Transportation. During his three-year tenure, he was responsible for developing Florida's first comprehensive intermodal freight plan.

"With the recent completion of Florida East Coast Railway's Intermodal Container Transfer Facility and the Eller Drive Overpass, the development of an intermodal transportation strategy that integrates the long-term … and short-term goals of the port's strategic business plan will be critical to take full advantage of [our] superior intermodal connections and opportunities," said Cernak in a press release.

Flores previously served as the director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Freight, Rails, Ports and Waterways Division, and intermodal policy program manager for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.