Port won't receive federal rail funds

MOSES LAKE - The Port of Moses Lake won't see $22 million in federal rail funds from a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant.

Pat Jones, the port's executive director, made the announcement Thursday when asked by an audience member during the Grant County Economic Development Council's luncheon.

The funds would have helped pay for the extension of the rail line from the east end of Wheeler to the airport.

The port applied for the money in October.

He said the state Department of Transportation was going to announce the two Washington state grants went to projects in Seattle and Interstate 5 near Fort Lewis, south of Tacoma.

"We got very good warm and fuzzy responses about the quality of the application, the justification, the cost benefit and all the critical elements that go into these applications," he commented.

With $11 million to give away, there was $14.5 billion in applications, he explained.

The port will "keep at it," to find funds for the project, he said. "It's absolutely critical if we're going to expand as an industrial center."

The rail project costs an estimated $30 million.