The Daily Reporter – WI Construction News & Bids Wisconsin's Construction Authority
A state rail assistance program will contribute most of $8 million in grants and loans to fix Wisconsin’s railroads, Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday.
The money comes from the Freight Railroad Preservation Program and the Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program, a grant system to cover up to 80 percent of public rail project costs and a loan program to build new rail-served facilities, the governor’s office said. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation provides both programs.
Grants and loans will go to five different projects across the Badger State and include lengthening rail spurs, installing conveyance equipment and increasing storage capacity at local facilities.
“Wisconsin’s economy relies on a robust network of roads, ports, and railways, and investing in our state’s transportation infrastructure, including our freight rail network, is a positive investment for the future of industry, our economy, and our entire state,” Evers said in a news release. “This round of grants will bolster how the state’s agriculture and paper industries move products from point A to B, supporting industry growth and success across the state.”
The following are the projects that will receive FRIIP and FRPP loans:
- A $1.4 million FRPP grant and $179,725 FRIIP loan to replace a timber trestle structure with a steel and concrete structure for the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad Co. near Boscobel.
- A $1.5 million FRIIP loan will invest in conveyance equipment and above-track storage capacity improvements at the Rio Creek Feed Mill in Kewaunee County.
- A $3 million FRIIP loan to construct 6,878 feet of track for Canadian National Railway in Stanley. The project will be the first phase of a multi-phase, multi-year buildout of the site.
- A $492,791 FRIIP loan to reconstruct 521 feet of spur track in Green Bay.
- A $1.5 million FRIIP loan to install conveyance equipment in Port Milwaukee.
