Serving Whitman County since 1877
--photo Debbie Snell
The Port of Whitman has funded small repairs to this portion of track at Central Ferry. They are currently seeking a grant to do a larger repair in the near future.
Port of Whitman commissioners Thursday, June 16, approved funding for railroad track repair at Central Ferry. The rehabilitation work will be done to help the Port prepare for the possibility of receiving a Freight Rail Assistance Program (FRAP) grant for further work.
“This project would replace approximately 60 ties and provide track spike and re-gauging for 300 feet of track,” said Port Properties and Development Manager Debbie Snell.
The cost of the work, to be completed by Watco, comes in at $10,311.50. Snell said the Port budgeted $10,000 into this year's budget for the rail repair.
“Last year, there was a problem at Central Ferry and we didn't have the budget for rail repair,” she told the Gazette. “Ten thousand doesn't go very far as rail is concerned, but it will help fix the worst of the worst at Central Ferry.”
Snell said that last week Watco had to shut down part of the rail in order to “add some hardware to get cars through.” Watco will complete more work soon with the funding the Port has now approved, but a timeline has not yet been established, Snell said.
Snell also said Port staffer Kara Riebold and herself this week visited Central Ferry to take pictures in preparation for submitting an application for the FRAP grant.
“We'll do an evaluation of rail spur and what actually needs to be done,” Snell said before the trip.
The FRAP grant application is due July 15.
“We've got lots of work to do before then,” Snell said.
The Port expects to hear back about the application some time in the fall, and if a grant is awarded, construction would be expected in 2017.
Snell said potential construction would be scheduled at a time that least inconveniences the tenants at Central Ferry. The seven tenants there include Helena Chemical, the McGregor Company, Columbia Grain, Co-Op Agriculture Producers, Motley & Motley, Wilbur-Ellis and Central Ferry Terminal Association.
Snell said the Port and Watco would together provide matching funds for the FRAP grant, if it is awarded.
“Their company directly benefits from our spur,” she said. “We have to come up with a match for this grant, and it benefits everybody.”
At the meeting last week, the commissioners discussed the potential Central Ferry project being similar to the project just completed at the Port of Wilma across the river from Clarkston. The $1.2 million project there – partially funded by a FRAP grant – replaced track, ties, crossings and added new track, among other things.
“The money that was invested in that spur has made a huge difference,” Snell told the commissioners. “We're hoping to do the same at Central Ferry.”
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