|
Project Title & Location
Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project
|
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.
|
|
Contractor/Consultant
The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) Washington DC
|
|
Recent Progress
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) agreed to allow WSDOT to be co-lead with the STB in performing the environmental study and documentation for the project. WSDOT's consultant began work in October 2006. Development of the scope of work revealed a need to identify important plant community and habitat information in late spring and early summer due to the growing season of potential threatened, endangered, and candidate species.
A public open house was held in Moses Lake in July 2007 to explain the project and show people the proposed route. As a result of the open house, a wide range of comments were received; 58 percent of which proposed that a more northerly route be explored. This option was examined by the project team and it was found that the more northerly route did not meet the purpose and need of the project. These findings were presented at two public meetings; the Port of Moses Lake Commissioners meeting and Moses Lake City Council meeting, both held in October 2007.
Environmental work has been delayed as reviews of the material took longer than expected. The Environmental Assessment document was published in October 2008 and a public open house was in November 2008. At this meeting other alternative routes were proposed and are being examined. There were also some concerns raised about the impacts to the local irrigation system. In addition, five more alternative routes were proposed and have now been evaluated. The final document should be issued in late April 2009.
|
|
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.
|
|
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. Assuming that only an Environmental Assessment is needed, the decision from STB is when the documentation will be complete. The Draft Environmental Assessment is due Nov 2008; The Final Environmental Assessment is due January 2009.
|
Impacts to Traffic
The next phase of the project will have no impact on rail operations or roadway traffic.
|