$2 million in federal funding for Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project included in FY2011 bill

July 21, 2010 - PRLog -- Moses Lake, Wash - U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee recently announced that she has included funding to boost Central Washington transportation and economic development in the Fiscal Year 2011 THUD Appropriations bill.  

In particular, $2 million in funding is included in the bill for rail infrastructure investments and construction for the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project at the Port of Moses Lake.   This federal funding follows $2 million in state funding that was provided by the Washington State legislature for the project in 2009.

"Especially now, it is critical to steer funding into transportation projects that create jobs and boost local economies in our own backyard in Central Washington," said Senator Murray.

"This extension of rail will not only preserve approximately 75 existing jobs but will create approximately 200 new jobs in various manufacturing industries expressing an interest in relocating or expanding into the Moses Lake area.  This rail extension will ease some of the trucking transportation congestion now being experienced on Interstate I-90," said Michael B. Conley, President of the Board of Commissioners, Port of Moses Lake.

Brig Temple, President of Columbia Basin Railroad, praised Senator Murray for her efforts to include this important funding in the FY2011 THUD Appropriations Bill, and he also commended the Port of Moses Lake, Columbia Basin Railroad, the City of Moses Lake, Grant County, the ASPI Group and Grant County EDC and other Moses Lake Rail Coalition partners for their teamwork in helping raise awareness about this critical infrastructure project.

The key spending bill recently passed through the THUD Appropriations Subcommittee and will now move to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration.

For more information, contact Tim Kelly or Pat Boss of Columbia Basin Railroad at 509-453-9166.

About the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project

The Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project is a critical economic development and freight mobility project that will enhance and improve rail access to vital industries in the Moses Lake, WA area.

One of the important facets of the project is to construct a new rail segment (Segment 2) from the south side of the Port of Moses Lake’s Grant County International Airport (GCIA) to the “Industrial Area” on the east and north sides of the airport.

The GCIA Industrial Area is a very desirable industrial development location in Eastern Washington because there is plenty of available industrial land, easy access to Hwy 17 and I-90, and the electrical power rates are some of the most competitive in the nation.    Recently, SGL-BMW held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Automotive Carbon Fiber manufacturing facility (http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/local/article_5ea...) which will be located in the GCIA Industrial Area close to where Segment 2 will be constructed.