Railroads will receive the lion’s share of recently approved federal infrastructure grants, nearly doubling the money spent on trucking projects. The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced that $1.4 billion in rail grants have been awarded to fund 70 improvements across 35 states. Trucking projects, that include parking spaces, are pulling up the rear at $80 million.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we are making historic investments in rail, which means fewer accidents and delays, faster travel times, and lower shipping costs for the American people,” U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg reportedly said. “These projects will make American rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient, delivering tangible benefits to dozens of communities where railroads are located, and strengthening supply chains for the entire country.”
The rail projects include the following:
More than $178 million has been awarded to Amtrak, in partnership with the Southern Rail Commission, for a Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
- Washington State receives over $72.8 million for track-related improvements, crossing upgrades, and infrastructure enhancements on the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad (PCC) through the Rural Rail Rehabilitation Phase II Project. The investments will allow the line to pull 286,000-pound railcars.
- The Tennessee Short Line Railroads Bridge Bundle Project gains $23.7 million to begin upgrades to approximately 42 bridges along 10 different short-line railroads.
- More than $29.5 million has been earmarked to update Paducah and Louisville Railway’s 280-mile main line.
A Nebraska project receives $15.2 million, Maryland $11.5 million, and Ohio $16.2 million, among others. Trucking projects, that include additional overnight parking spaces, are expected to receive $80 million this year. The $80 million investment is reportedly a 65 percent increase over funding for projects with a truck parking element during the last fiscal year. These include the following:
- An unspecified number of parking spaces will be part of a project focused on erecting signage that makes truckers aware of availability along Kentucky, Delaware, and Indiana highways.
- In Caldwell County, Texas, $22.9 million has been awarded to design and build a truck parking plaza.
- In Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, $10.5 million will help purchase land and build a Truck Parking facility for 50 commercial trucks, 100 cars, and EV charging stations.
- On Interstate 4, between Tampa and Orlando, $15 million will fund approximately 120 spaces, electric charging stations, and pedestrian infrastructure.
- Outside Memphis, Tennessee, $22 million will be invested in creating 125 truck parking spaces along I-40, along with bridge enhancements.
All told, truckers can anticipate approximately 300 legitimate, federally funded overnight parking spaces.
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