The South Dakota Department of Transportation is getting $5.67 million to fund three railroad projects, including ones near Kimball and Midland.
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration has approved the Special Transportation Circumstances Grants to upgrade rail infrastructure and enhance rail safety across the state.
The following projects were selected in South Dakota:
- For the Midland Rail Improvement Project SDDOT is receiving up to $2.24 million to replace approximately four miles of main line Rapid City Pierre & Eastern rail between milepost 530 and milepost 534, between Fort Pierre and Rapid City passing through Midland. The current rail is lightweight, obsolete and approaching 100 years old. Replacing the rail will reduce derailment risk by improving track geometry and reducing internal defects and breakage.
- For the Mitchell-Rapid City Meet and Pass Siding project, SDDOT will get up to $1.56 million to construct a new, approximately 10,000-foot rail siding east of Highway 45 in rural Brule County near the Gavilon grain elevator on the Dakota Southern Railway mainline east of Kimball. The siding increases capacity and decreases delays. It will be located on property half of which is currently owned by the state, the other half of the project right-of-way will be acquired with funding outside of this grant.
- SDDOT is getting up to $1.87 million for the Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Rail Improvement project. Funds will pay for several track improvements between mile post 115.5 and 74.6 located approximately between Britton and Aberdeen, including replacing approximately 20,450 ties, removing and replacing old anchors, adding ballast and making repairs to two railroad bridges. These improvements will make the state-owned track safer and more efficient for lessee Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad.
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act Grants were made available by the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2019 and 2020.
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