|
Project Title & Location
Mt. Vernon Siding Upgrade – Mt. Vernon
|
Project Description
Completes contractual commitments with the host railroad to upgrade the existing rail siding for on-time reliability. Guarantees the continued operation of the second train on this route, currently operating between Seattle and Bellingham.
|
|
Recent Progress
This project will design and extend the existing siding to allow for full-length freight trains to use the siding and allowing Amtrak Cascades trains to pass them. To extend the siding, the Hickox Road at-grade crossing must be permanently removed, and some minor wetland must be filled and replaced. Unknown costs for the Hickox Road closure, wetland mitigation, and rail control signals exceed the funds available in the current biennium. This puts the scheduled completion date of June 2007 at risk.
In order for the extended siding to be used as intended, the at-grade crossing of Hickox Road needs to closed so that trains waiting on the siding more than 10 minutes do not block roadway traffic. The proposed closure has met with resistance by residents and officials from the city of Mt. Vernon and Skagit County. In the next month, BNSF Railway will be petitioning the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) to close the crossing. This legal process could take four months to a year. In the 2003-2005 biennium, the expenditures were about $416,000 under the allocated funds, but these funds were not re-appropriated into the 2005-2007 biennium. WSDOT and BNSF Railway are evaluating the current estimate and projected schedule, but it is likely WSDOT will request that the approximately $416,000 be re-appropriated into either the 2005-2007 biennium or the 2007-2009 biennium. The decision about this potential request will be made in November 2006.
|
|
Environmental Impacts / Compliance
The first phase of the project, the upgrade of the existing track, required only documentation for compliance with both the National and State Environmental Protection Acts. The second phase of the project, the siding extension, will require a biological assessment for its effects on endangered species. In February 2006 a wetland was discovered. WSDOT is working to determine how long the project may be delayed.
|
Impacts to Traffic
There may be some brief work windows that may affect rail operation for both freight and passenger trains as old signals are replaced with new signals. Amtrak Cascades passengers may experience short delays on trains traveling between Vancouver or Bellingham and Seattle. The Hickox Road at-grade crossing may need to be closed due to the siding extension.
|