Port of Los Angeles awarded $16 million for railyard project
The Port of Los Angeles announced Tuesday that it was awarded $16 million from the US Department of Transportation's National Infrastructure Investment grant program, known as "TIGER II," for its West Basin Railyard project. The Port's project will maximize use of rail at the Port, create almost 2,000 construction jobs, reduce pollution, ease congestion, enhance safety, and improve the livability of the region and sustainability and competitiveness of port operations.
"This is a significant boost for a Port project that is critical to the prosperity of the Los Angeles region," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
"Our Port needs to stay competitive, and this funding will help," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes the Port. "This project is of national importance, since it will increase the Port's on-dock rail capacity and move goods to the rest of the country more efficiently."
Total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $125 million. In addition to the TIGER II funding, the Port has secured other state and local funds and will contribute about $50 million of its own capital funds. Construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2011 and be completed toward the end of 2013.
Some project benefits include the reduction of 2,300 daily truck trips by increased use of on-dock rail, 81,000 truck miles traveled and 2,370 vehicle-hours traveled; improvement of safety via truck trip reductions on the 710 freeway, which has the highest accident rate in California, and by removal of two at-grade rail-roadway crossings that are impediments between a residential community and the waterfront, as well as the creation of 1,987 construction jobs.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, TIGER II has awarded a total of $600 million to 75 capital construction and planning projects in 40 states nationwide.