The Port of Everett, Wash., has begun construction on a new rail siding to handle the movement of international cargo.
Granite Construction this month started construction on a new 3,300-foot two-track siding near the South Terminal.
In February, the Port Commission awarded a $3.4-million contract to the Everett-based contractor to complete the second phase of the Port’s terminal rail enhancements. The project aims to improve regional rail freight mobility and increase capacity of rail freight.
The project was made possible, in part, by a federal Tiger grant, which the port called “an extremely valuable grant program for reinvesting in our nation’s transportation infrastructure.”
The siding will increase the on-terminal rail footprint from 9,200 lineal feet to 12,500 feet, and is slated for completion in November. The project also provides a connection that allows BNSF easier ingress and egress to the Port's shipping facilities, reducing congestion on the mainline from Seattle to Canada and east along the northern corridor.
The port’s rail-borne export and import shipments support aerospace, construction, manufacturing, energy, agricultural and forest products industries, among others.
The project will also support the port’s 13,614 direct trade-related jobs, and provide approximately 70 construction jobs.
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