Damaged bridges spotlight

Two railroad bridges damaged this spring on state-owned tracks in Whitman County were almost not replaced because of a lack of funding.

A bridge on the PV line west of Thornton had to be replaced because it was sagging and a support structure was found to be below standards.

Another bridge on the P&L line south of Oakesdale was damaged when it was hit by a semi trailer.

Port of Whitman Executive Director Joe Poire said the bridges would have been lost if not for negotiations between state and local officials.

Port Commissioner Don Cox called Marty Brown, the budget director for Gov. Chris Gregoire. Brown rustled up funding from a number of sources that will be repaid when the state receives a settlement from the insurance company of the truck driver that damaged the bridge.

Poire and Port Commissioner John Love sit on the PCC Rail Authority, a four county entity formed in order to receive funding from the state for three eastern Washington shortline railroads.

Port commissioners said the matter exemplifies the state’s lack of commitment to maintain the PCC system.

“It’s still a state asset, but it never gets included in the state transportation budget,” said Cox.

A new fence on the CW line, between Cheney and Coulee City, funded by a grant to the rail authority by the state in 2005, was washed out last year.

The state dedicated $35 million to buy and rehabilitate the 300-mile system, but most of that was used up in the 2005 purchase and subsequent repairs.

Rail Authority officials are now trying to arrange a transfer of $1.8 million which went to a Moses Lake rail project that has not materialized.

The Port of Moses Lake was awarded a grant to improve the line, but deferred maintenance elsewhere on the Moses Lake line made the improvement project unfeasible.

Poire wrote state legislators last week to request the funding be directed to the PCC system for repair projects. Port commissioners, though, had a dim view that the request would be granted.

“There’s probably some issues in Puget Sound that they want that money for,” said Commissioner John Love.

Poire said shippers on local rail lines are beginning to commit to consistent shipments.

“When you look at the car shipment numbers, it’s fabulous compared to two years ago,” he said.

Without that commitment, he said, the state has seen the railroad to be of little use.

Improvements of the track, which at some points limits train speeds to 10 miles per hour, would make it easier for more shippers to commit to use of the railroad.

“We need to make it speedy enough to be useful,” said Cox.