WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday (July 15) announced some $488 million in grants under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD, grant program. While 77% of the funding is for road and bridge projects, two projects totaling $3.2 million are designated as rail projects and at least two others have a rail element.
“From making families safer to expanding our ports, these grant selections reflect our commitment to unleashing America’s full potential with envy-of-the-world infrastructure,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press release.
Detailed descriptions of all projects were not provided, so it is possible that some other road and bridge projects, in particular, also have a rail component. Those with a clear rail element include:
— $25 million for flood control work and intermodal improvements in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in an area between Interstate 380 and a Union Pacific rail line. The project includes a a 0.3-mile levee, realignment of a roadway over the levee, a railroad flood gate, and a pedestrian bridge.
— $25 million for facilities at the port of Bristol, Pa., including upgrading of rail systems along with construction of a new 1,100-foot dock, modernization of offloading equipment, and dredging.
— $2 million for the Everett Intermodal Yard and Curve Improvements project in Snohomish County, Wash., including construction of approximately 13,000 feet of new BNSF main line, a new 4,300-foot siding west of the existing Rogers Pass main line, and relocating that main line to the west to improve curve geometry and operational efficiency.
— $1.2 million for a study of a multimodal hub and intermodal freight improvements along Cleveland’s waterfront.
The full list is available here.
