TxDOT RECEIVES U.S. DOT GRANT FOR RAIL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Aug 6, 2017, Comments Off
Courtesy TxDot,
AUSTIN, TX – The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the Texas Department of Transportation has received a $7 million federal grant to help rebuild the Presidio-Ojinaga International Rail Bridge and 72 miles of track on the state-owned South Orient Rail Line that runs from the border to near Coleman, Texas.
Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Tryon Lewis hailed the FASTLANE grant that was announced Thursday as a critical investment in the West Texas oil and gas industry.
“The South Orient Railroad has become an increasingly important freight line for the agriculture and oil and gas industries in West Texas. With the replacement of the rail bridge at Presidio, the improvements to the track, bridges and crossings will allow enhanced freight opportunities for communities in Texas and between Texas and Mexico, with greater efficiency and safety,” Chairman Lewis said.
Lewis thanked members of Congress, the Texas Legislature and the TxDOT staff involved in applying for and attaining the grant and especially the work of U.S. Congressman Will Hurd of San Antonio who was instrumental in obtaining the grant.
“Representative Hurd worked hard on our behalf to support our efforts to be awarded these monies from the USDOT. The improvements we make to the rail line and the reconstruction of the rail bridge will assure we can continue to support the industries in Texas that rely on deliveries provided by the South Orient Railroad,” Lewis said.
“Cross-border trade is the lifeblood of many communities in my district. These infrastructure improvements will create jobs, reduce arduous border wait times, and facilitate the flow of goods and services through the region,” said Rep. Hurd, whose district includes over 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, more than any other member of Congress. “As one of five border crossings between Texas and Mexico, these repairs are vital to Texas’ economy.”
The South Orient Rail Line is a 391-mile line running from the Texas-Mexico border at Presidio through San Angelo to just south of Coleman.
The grant will be part of a public and private partnership to replace the international bridge that was damaged by fire in 2008 and has remained closed since then, blocking one of only seven rail gateways between the United States and Mexico.
In addition to the Presidio-Ojinaga bridge reconstruction, the awarded grant funding will help provide for track, bridge and drainage improvements on 72 miles of railroad from the border to Alpine, Texas.
The line is owned by the state of Texas but maintained and operated by Texas Pacifico Transportation, Ltd. under a lease with TxDOT. The total reconstruction and rehabilitation project is estimated at $16.2 million.
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