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Project Title & Location
Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project
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Project Description
The first phase of this project will explore the feasibility and costs of several rail improvements intended to support economic development in the Moses Lake area.
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Contractor/Consultant
The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) Washington DC, HDR Engineering, Bellevue, WA
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Recent Progress
WSDOT completed a feasibility study of the proposed project in March 2006. A community meeting was held in Moses Lake on May 2, 2006. After the meeting, the Port of Moses Lake adopted a resolution that called for the development of the environmental documents for a proposed new rail line that will bypass downtown Moses Lake and a proposed new rail line that will serve the industrial parcels on the east side of the Grant County Airport. The Port hired an attorney to assist it to secure appropriate determinations from the Surface Transportation Board on how to proceed to obtain permission for proposed construction and to obtain guidance on what environmental processes to follow.
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Design Construction Impacts
The project does not include any construction at this time. The next phase of the project will focus on the completion of environmental documents.
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Environmental Impacts / Compliance
WSDOT, the Port of Moses Lake, and the federal STB will complete a thorough review of environmental impacts before any construction takes place.
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Impacts to Traffic
The next phase of the project will have no impact on rail operations or roadway traffic.
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