Oregon officials announced on Friday that a major infrastructural improvement project to the Port of Coos Bay will receive an additional $29 million in federal funding on top of the $25 million that was announced a week ago.
The offices of U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (D-Ore), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said on October 25 that the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port Coos Bay Rail Line Upgrades Planning Project will receive an additional $29,751,615 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety Improvements grant program. The Coos Bay rail line improvement project is the first step toward the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port becoming the first ship-to-rail port on the west coast, according to state officials.
“Today’s award makes long overdue investments in the Coos Bay Rail Line and will improve sections of the line that have fallen into disrepair,” U.S. Representative Val Hoyle said. “Upgrades and repairs to rail line will help to move products across Oregon and the country faster. A renovated Coos Bay Rail Line is a key part of setting the Port of Coos Bay up to be the first ship-to-rail port on the west coast.”
State officials said that the latest funding will provide for track rehabilitation, new sidings, and reevaluate tunnels, bridges, and crossings for viability along the rail route between Coos Bay and Eugene and grant money will also provide for improvements to Eugene’s rail yard in anticipation of increased rail car traffic. A previous grant award of $25,018,750 through the U.S. DOT’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects grant fund will fund engineering and design for the intermodal terminal part of the project, state officials said.
Authorities said the project holds the potential to bring more than 8,000 jobs to the south coast region.
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