The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) announced it has been awarded a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) $7.1 million grant to replace and modernize its Broadway Street truss in St. Louis.
The Broadway Street truss is part of the west approach to the MacArthur Railroad Bridge, which was originally constructed between 1906 and 1913. The project will address critical structure maintenance and bring the structure up to current rail standards.
The $14.5 million project represents a public private partnership between the TRRA and the Federal Railroad Administration, with the FRA providing nearly 50 percent of the funding needed to complete the project with the TRRA providing the balance. After the truss is replaced, the bridge will be able to accommodate movement of longer and wider dimensional rail cars, supporting the delivery of these manufactured goods and keeping them off the highway system. The resulting improved clearances will eliminate the need for a 317-mile re-route for dimensional loads. TRRA hopes to award the project by the end of 2019 with the two-year project to be completed in early 2022.
“This federal grant represents an investment in the St. Louis region and the U.S. economy. The awarded funds are consistent with the public benefits associated with the project by helping to lower industry shipping costs and ensuring schedule reliability for intercity passenger rail service on the Chicago-St. Louis Amtrak corridor,” said TRRA President Mike McCarthy.
The TRRA received support from key federal partners in supporting the grant, including: U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, Congressman Lacy Clay, the Missouri Department of Transportation, the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Regional Freightway and East-West Gateway.
“The St. Louis region is the nation’s third largest rail hub, and the MacArthur Bridge is an integral part of that network,” said St. Louis Regional Freightway Executive Director Mary Lamie. “This project will improve freight movement on rail, river and the interstate system, and will ensure we have the infrastructure necessary to compete in the global marketplace, today and into the future.”
St. Louis is the largest volume rail crossing of the Mississippi River. As an indispensable node in the nation’s railroad network it is critical that these assets are kept in a state of good repair to avoid delays to shippers and carriers who depend on this gateway for safe and efficient service.
The TRRA is a Class III railroad serving 80 industrial customers in the St. Louis region and provides interchange services to Class I railroads serving the East and West Coasts and the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. These services provide cost efficient transportation options to area businesses and is a critical hub for connecting the St. Louis region to national and international trade.
