Port again seeks TIGER grant to fix P&L railroad

Port of Whitman County commissioners requested support from Whitman County commissioners as the port applies for a grant to repair and replace bridges in anticipation of the opening of the McCoy Grain Terminal which is expected to go into service before this year’s harvest.

The port is applying for $4.7 million in federal Transportation Investment Generation Economic Recovery (TIGER) 5 funding for the P&L Shortline Railroad Rehabilitation Project.

According to Debbie Snell, port properties and development manager, this is the fifth time the port has applied for a TIGER grant.

“It’s very competitive,” she said. She also said although the port is hopeful they’ll receive funding this time, they are not overly confident of success.

Snell said they should know the result in a couple of months.

The project calls for repair of 12 timber trestle bridges and one steel bridge and replaces 10 timber trestle bridges with steel girder and concrete deck bridges supported by piling on the state-owned P&L Line between McCoy and the interchange with the BNSF mainline at Marshall.

Total project cost for repair and replacement of 23 bridges is about $5.8 million.

The federal TIGER grant request is $4.7 million. A Washington State Department of Commerce Grant of $842,000 has already been granted for the project.

Private investment by McCoy Grain Terminal, LLC is $250,000 for preliminary engineering.

The project will begin construction this summer with the repair of eight bridges and other track work with the state funding.

The environmental permitting is expected to be finalized by May of next year.

Whitman County commissioners Monday voted to support the project grant applicaton. The letter of support will go to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, DC.