Friday, September 27, 2013

Port of Vancouver, Washington rail project underway

The new rail entrance to the West Vancouver Freight Access project, underway at the Port of Vancouver in Washington state, will eliminate a chokepoint on the regional rail system and reduce congestion by as much as 40 percent.

"The new entrance is a game changer," said the port's CEO Todd Coleman. "Cargoes such as wheat, steel pipe, wood pulp and automobiles will move into and out of the port more efficiently and that's good for our region. Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the nation and improving our ability to transport products for U.S. companies creates jobs and strengthens our economy."

The $38-million project, being built in four phases, is expected to be finished in 2015. The new entrance will allow trains carrying more millions of tons of cargo annually to bypass the mainlines by traveling under the BNSF bridge that crosses the Columbia River between Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash.

Approximately 1,400 feet of new track will be built within a concrete superstructure that sits atop more than 410 pilings. Each piling, made of U.S. steel, is embedded 80 to 90 feet into the river's northern bank and will support the trench above the riverbank and securely anchor the structure during periods of high water.

For more of the R,T & S story: rtands.com

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