AASHTO Journal - FRA to Provide Nearly $57M in New CRISI Grants

The Federal Railroad Administration issued more than $56.9 million in grants on Feb. 8 for 18 railroad infrastructure projects in 16 states; funding being made available through its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements or CRISI program.

[Above photo via the FRA.]

The FRA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity for those grants required that at 25 percent of that funding goes to rural projects. On top of that, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 – via which the CRISI program received this funding – requires that projects worth $10 million for projects that contribute to the restoration or initiation of intercity passenger rail service.

“We’re extremely pleased that the CRISI grant program directs much-needed critical investment to rural America,” noted FRA Administrator Ronald Batory in a statement.

Several state departments of transportation are receiving funds via this latest release of CRISI grants, including:

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will get up to $10 million in funds to combine three grade separations on the CSX S line north of Raleigh, N.C. Two of those grade separations are primarily being funded by the state, while the third at Millbrook Road is being advanced by the CRISI grant.
The New York State Department of Transportation will get up to roughly $6.3 million to replace timber bridge decks with ballast decks on three bridges on the Hudson Line in Dutchess and Columbia Counties, N.Y.; a section that 26 Amtrak trains use per day, as well as freight service.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will get up to slightly more than $5 million to construct a second platform at the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station, as well as elevator towers and an overhead pedestrian bridge to connect the new platform to the station.
The Georgia Department of Transportation is in line to receive more than $2 million to upgrade the state-owned Heart of Georgia Class III railroad corridor, which extends for 138 miles connecting Central Georgia with the Cordele Inland Port at I-75 and the Port of Savannah.
The Missouri Department of Transportation may receive more than $2.5 million to implement a grade crossing consolidation plan and other grade crossing improvements along a 19-mile segment in southwest Missouri.