State approves $4 million for Connell Rail Interchange

OTHELLO — Port of Warden officials discussed a legislative update on their ongoing projects during their regular meeting Thursday, primarily the Connell Rail Interchange improvements, which received another $4 million in approved funds from the state legislature, and potential future funding for their industrial road project. 

Consultant for the port Patrick Boss gave the update on the interchange, used by the Columbia Basin Railroad, during the meeting.

“I think we're all happy about that,” Boss said, “because we all were concerned about being a little short on that (funding).”

“That's a good thing to hear,” said Port Commissioner Dale Pomeroy. 

Port of Warden Executive Director Pat Millard said in a previous interview that the port volunteered to manage the funding and finances for the rail project. The project was previously awarded $14.5 million in funding through the state legislature, bringing the total funding for the project to $18.5 million.

Boss said during the meeting that the funding was a welcome surprise.

“The chances of getting state money were pretty slim, which is why I was so surprised Connell got funded, because clearly that was a rarity, to see extra money for transportation projects,” he said.

Millard explained the purpose of the interchange improvements.

“Well, what happens when the trains come from back east is they have to go to Tri-Cities and be turned around and come back to Connell and come up the hill to Othello, Warden, Moses Lake,  wherever,” Millard said. “And the same thing when they're empty; they have to go back to Conell, then to Pasco, to be turned around so that they can go back east. So they're going to fix that interchange so that those trains can come up here. That's what that money is for.”

Boss said there will be other benefits to the improvements as well. 

“(It will) add some more length to the track there so longer trains can come up too,” he said, “because we’re getting these companies that are coming into Grant County and the trains are longer, so it will lengthen some of the – for lack of a better word – the runway down there so there is a longer section of track that will accommodate longer trains.”

Millard also introduced the idea of applying for funding through the Grant County Strategic Infrastructure Program to pay for the 13.5% matching costs the port will owe on $2.5 million in Federal Highway Administration Funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 the port received for its Road Infrastructure Improvement & Expansion Project to construct an industrial bypass road on port land. The port’s matching requirement totals just over $337,000.

Boss said the Grant County Economic Development Council, which facilitates the SIP funding, would be likely to award the money.

“I think, actually, you would have a good chance of getting it,” Boss said, “because we have the federal money, and that goes a long way … to attract the other money and in this case SIP. I mean, if you’re going in and just asking for the ($337,000) alone without anything else, I think it would be a harder sell.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Columbia Basin Railroad train cars sit in the Port of Warden rail yard on the east edge of town. The port discussed during its regular meeting Thursday an additional $4 million in funding from the state legislature for the Connell Rail Interchange improvement project.