Rail-related projects included in $905M infrastructure grants

A handful of freight rail-related projects have received federal funding from a popular infrastructure grant program.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $905.25 million to 24 projects in 18 states via the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary program.

The freight rail-related projects receiving awards involve multiple public and private stakeholders, such as the one between CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) and a South Carolina state agency to build rail track for auto manufacturers needing to connect to CSX’s network.

In addition to the INFRA award that the Georgia Ports Authority received and FreightWaves reported on Wednesday, here are other awarded projects that include a significant freight rail component:

Archer Avenue and Belt Railway of Chicago Grade Separation Project (Chicago)

$19.1 millon to the Illinois Department of Transportation

The project will grade separate the Archer Avenue roadway and two existing Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) rail tracks. It will consist of reconstructing Archer Avenue and lowering it by approximately 15 feet under a new rail bridge to serve existing BRC tracks.

The project will also add elevated pedestrian and bicycle sidewalks under the rail bridge with lighting, relocate utilities and install a combined storm and sanitary sewer along Archer Avenue with rehabilitated combined sewers adjacent to the project site.

These measures will reduce traffic delays and improve safety, according to the award description. It will also increase the efficiency of freight rail movement and provide an at-grade crossing for emergency responders.

Camp Hall Industrial Corridor (Ridgeville, South Carolina)

$25 million to the Division of Public Railways for the South Carolina Department of Commerce

The award will enable the state division to build approximately 22.7 miles of track and related facilities that will connect the Camp Hall to the CSX network. The rail line will support the delivery of raw materials to an automobile manufacturing plant and the transport of finished vehicles from the plant, according to the award description.

Developers hope the project will convert truck traffic from the Camp Hall to rail, which in turn could reduce vehicle miles traveled on the region’s highways and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Additional funds for the project will come from CSX ($10 million) and Volvo Cars ($6 million).

Dubuque Port and Rail Improvements (Dubuque, Iowa)

$5 million to the city of Dubuque

The city of Dubuque wants to increase capacity at the Gavilon marine port and rail facility, which are located at the Dove Harbor terminal at the Port of Dubuque on the Mississippi River. To do this, the city proposes to renovate an existing fertilizer storage shed that is near the end of its life span to increase its storage capacity by approximately 12,000 tons; replace and upgrade about 7,300 feet of inoperable rail track; relocate approximately 2,800 feet of rail track to support direct transfer/transloading of fertilizer and other bulk products from river barge to rail; and install new rail equipment, including a main line switch, loadout system and shed, and rail-to-barge direct transfer system.

Expanding port capacity and improving rail access to Dove Harbor is expected to increase the tonnage of fertilizer shipped through the terminal, which in turn will shift fertilizer and grain shipping from truck to rail, according to the award description. Diverting cargo from truck to maritime transport will also reduce shipping costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Short line subsidiaries of CN (NYSE: CNI) and Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) operate nearby the port.

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