City of Ephrata to apply for railroad crossing feasibility study grant

EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata will work on planning for future transportation development through the application for a QUADCO Unified Planning Work Program grant.  

During the regular Ephrata City Council meeting June 18, council members unanimously authorized the city to sign an application for a grant to fund a feasibility study to look at building a new railroad crossing somewhere in town and a corresponding North-South arterial road. 

The proposed $50,000 project, which includes a $42,500 grant from QUADCO and a $7,500 match from the city, has been identified as a critical component of the city’s Transportation Improvement Plan.   

“This is an opportunity to conduct feasibility planning for two projects identified on the Transportation Improvement Program, and as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan,” City Engineer Shawn O'Brien said during the meeting. 

The feasibility plan aims to analyze potential locations for the crossing — be it an overpass, underpass, or at-grade — and provide detailed engineering and cost estimates for the project.  

“Part of the result of the grant application is to take a look at the environment and identify what the options are for crossing, whether it be over or under,” O’Brien said.  

This study seeks to alleviate the congestion at current at-grade crossings, particularly the Division and Nat Washington Way intersections, which experience heavy use from school buses and local traffic, O’Brien explained. 

“The completion of a railroad crossing and associated North-South arterial would provide an access loop through the Port of Ephrata, greatly improving north-south access for current and future Port of Ephrata industries,” O’Brien said.  

City officials emphasized the importance of this planning effort during the meeting. O’Brien described the feasibility study as a much-needed step to comprehensively evaluate transportation options.  

“Once we agree to the grant and secure funding, we aren't obligated to complete the project immediately; this is primarily an evaluation,” he said. “It gives us a clear direction and guidelines on how to move forward.” 

The feasibility study is slated to be conducted over the winter and spring of 2026, with the plan expected to be completed and presented to the City Council by the end of June 2026. 

    At the regular city council meeting Wednesday, the Ephrata City Council unanimously agreed to move forward with the QUADCO Unified Planning Work Program grant, which will help fund a feasibility study for implementing a new railroad crossing.