State funds railroad project

COLUMBIA BASIN — Nearly half of  the $5 million in improvements on the Columbia Basin Railroad line near Moses Lake will be funded in July.

The $2 million in funds were included in the state’s transportation budget for 2009-2011 approved this week, the railroad announced Wednesday.

Engineering work still needs to be done on the project, so construction would likely start in late 2009 or early 2010, said Tim Kelly, the railroad’s chief operating officer.

The work entails building a new rail section at the south end of the Grant County International Airport to an industrial portion of the airport.

Also, improvements would be done to Segment 3 of the line.

Kelly described the project as being a public-private one, with participants being the Port of Moses Lake, the railroad, the City of Moses Lake and Grant County Economic Development Council.

Railroad President Brig Temple commented on the “unprecedented teamwork and cooperation” between the groups “in raising awareness in Olympia about this critical infrastructure project.”

“In addition, the government affairs consultants the Columbia Basin Railroad and the Port of Moses Lake utilized in Olympia did an excellent job of keeping the issue top-of-mind with legislators,” he stated.

Temple also credited many key legislators from across the state for their work.

“The broad bi-partisan support for this project shows that the legislature wants it to be successful as it will help attract vital economic development and create jobs in the greater Moses Lake area,” stated port Commissioner David Plate.

The groups will be looking for more money to complete the total $5 million project.

“We’re attempting to seek federal funding for the rest of the project,” Kelly said.

Funds could be obtained through a variety of federal programs through the Transportation Reauthorization Act and from stimulus money.