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11/18/2021
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $16 million to help fund the Industrial Rail Corridor Expansion project to benefit the Port of Longview and $2 million to help fund the U.S. Highway 12 grade separation project in Aberdeen, Washington.
The funds are being awarded through the USDOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced Nov. 16 in a press release.
"The federal funding for the Industrial Rail Corridor Expansion is going to mean goods flowing quickly in and out of the Port of Longview — bolstering our supply chains, boosting the local economy and creating new jobs," Murray said.
The project calls for doubling rail capacity at the port by adding two new rail lines with another four track beds to accommodate future needs and extending the length of the existing two rail lines. The project will allow the port to redevelop Berth 4 for bulk exports, such as soda ash or agricultural products, enabling the port to find new tenants for the terminal.
Prospective tenants to the port’s empty property at Barlow Point have also expressed the need for direct on-dock rail connections. The project is estimated to create more than 1,600 jobs over the next 20 years. Project completion is estimated for 2027.
Meanwhile, the $2 million RAISE grant will help the city of Aberdeen complete the planning phase of its grade separation project, which calls for eliminating three at-grade rail crossings that currently separate Highway 12 from the city’s main commercial area. The project will also reduce delays to the Port of Grays Harbor.
Currently, Highway 12 carries 28,000 vehicles per day, and trains can block the seven grade crossings in the corridor for up to 30 minutes per train. The rail crossings also delay truck traffic to the Port of Grays Harbor. With completion of the planning phase, the city will be eligible to apply for a $3 billion highway-rail crossing elimination grant to complete construction of the project, according to Murray’s press release.