USDOT issues $46 million in TIGER grants for rail projects in Maryland, Indiana and New Mexico

[Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:50 p.m. CST.]

Announcements for the latest round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants continue to leak out, with $46 million worth of grants identified for projects in Maryland, Indiana and New Mexico.

Baltimore County, Maryland, was among the awardees. The county has received a $20 million TIGER grant to help TradePoint Atlantic redevelop a former Sparrows Point steel mill site.

As part of the project, TradePoint will add an upgraded crane rail system to allow direct transfer of cargo from vessels to rail or truck.

The company also will make structural upgrades to the terminal's East-West berth, strengthen the bulkhead and design changes to facilitate transfer of liquid commodities, according to a press release issued by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

"Sparrows Point was at the center of Baltimore's economic history, and this grant will enable redevelopment that helps ensure that the site is central to the city's economic future," Cardin said. "This strong federal investment in TradePoint Atlantic will bring with it greater economic growth, new shipping capacity and job creation."

In addition, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) has announced a $10 million TIGER grant to rebuild approaches to the Maunie Railroad Bridge in Posey County, Indiana. Built in 1926, the bridge's timber approaches on both the Indiana and Illinois sides are in "dire need of replacement," according to a press release issued by Donnelly's office.

The bridge provides a link between coal miners, farmers, refiners, manufacturers and river ports located along the Evansville Western Railway.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded a $16 million TIGER grant to Colfax County, New Mexico, to replace segments of aging rail where Amtrak's Southwest Chief trains operate.

Two earlier TIGER grants enabled large sections of the Southwest Chief line to be repaired. The final grant will provide funding needed to repair and rehabilitate the last section of rail, based primarily in New Mexico. The Southwest Chief route runs from Chicago to Los Angeles.

"The Southwest Chief is an engine of economic growth in New Mexico that connects rural communities from Raton to Gallup, New Mexico," said U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) in a press release. "This critical grant will fund badly needed improvements to ensure a strong and stable future for the Southwest Chief in New Mexico."

The USDOT expects to officially announce the complete list of the latest TIGER grant awards tomorrow, a department spokeswoman said.