Moses Lake port about halfway to railroad right-of-way acquisition

MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake officials hope to go out to bid in early 2025 on a project to rebuild railway connections to port property. Commissioners approved the purchase of two parcels at their regular meeting Monday. 

Kim Detrolio, the port’s director of finance and administration, told port commissioners that the purchases approved Monday brought the port about halfway to the goal. The port purchased property for a railroad right of way from AMJ for $324,100 plus closing costs, and a second parcel from Circle C for $170,750 plus closing costs.  

In a later interview Milton Miller, port facilities director, said right-of-way acquisition is moving pretty quickly. 

“We’re hoping to have them all done by Christmas,” Miller said.  

Miller told commissioners there are eight parcels left that require rights of way, with four separate owners. 

The port is not buying entire parcels, just the right of way. 

“Our right of way varies,” Miller told commissioners. “The track itself is only 50 feet wide, but the right-of-way purchase that we’re buying is 100 to 125 feet.”  

In an earlier interview, Miller said five miles of track will be built and about 4.5 miles of existing track will be rehabilitated. The new rail line will reconnect with the BNSF lines near Connell. 

The new section of the rail line will run south of Wheeler Road, cross Wheeler about one to two miles west of State Route 17, run along Road 4 NE and connect with the existing line. The new section will require a bridge across Crab Creek and a rail crossing on Wheeler Road.   

The project should go out to bid early next year, he said, with construction expected to take about two years.  

Once the new rail line is completed, the existing rail line that runs through Moses Lake will be taken out of service. Miller said federal regulations prohibit abandoning the existing line until a new rail line is in place.  

Commissioners approved an eminent domain declaration along with the sale of the AMJ property. Miller said that helps property owners take advantage of a tax break. 

Eminent domain is the ability of a government to compel the sale of land for public purposes.  

“They didn’t potentially want to sell us the property, but we need the property,” Miller said. 

But the property owners are still subject to sales tax, and the eminent domain designation allows that to be waived, Miller said.  

The rail lines through Moses Lake are owned by the Columbia Basin Railroad, and port officials would contract with CBRR for service once the new line is complete, Miller said.