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Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) officials had expected to select a site for the Roanoke Region Intermodal Facility by April’s end. But they’ll need several more weeks — and perhaps longer — to evaluate 10 proposed sites.

One city of Salem location is undergoing additional engineering and evaluation to determine if the tract of land is a feasible site for the intermodal facility.

“The remaining nine sites will remain under active consideration while this more detailed information is developed,” DRPT officials said in a prepared statement.

The intermodal terminal is part of the $186 million Heartland Corridor initiative. The high-speed double-stack container line will run between Columbus, Ohio, and the Port of Norfolk, Va. To be completed in 2009, the line would reduce Norfolk Southern Corp.’s double-stack container route between Columbus and Norfolk by 300 miles and foster two-way double-stack service between Chicago, Columbus and Norfolk.

Through DRPT, Virginia is providing $22.4 million toward the $38.4 million cost of work proposed in the commonwealth, such as creating tunnel clearances for double-stack trains and constructing the intermodal terminal.