Transportation

Missouri Approves Rail Improvement Plan and $500 Million Bond Proposal For Highways, Bridges

The Missouri Department of Transportation approved a plan in December that allows the Kansas City Terminal Railway to spend $120 million to ease rail traffic on Kansas City's west side. In an unrelated story, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission authorized a $500 million bond-financing proposal that will be used to pay for the construction of highways and bridges in 2003. The proposal would give the commission the authority to issue bonds up to the maximum allowed by law, which is $500 million. As reported in this edition's "Around the South," The Road Information Program, or TRIP, cited Missouri as the state with the third-worst roads in the U.S. The report said that only Massachusetts and California have worse roads than Missouri.

Third Mississippi River Bridge at Memphis Being Studied

Congress recently included money in the Tennessee Department of Transportation budget to study the building of a third bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Memphis. The study will center on engineering, environmental and economic issues associated with the construction of a third bridge. A recent study done by Michael Gallis & Associates, a Charlotte-based research outfit, showed that officials from Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi all listed another river crossing at Memphis as a major need in the Mid-South region. Tennessee officials are pressing federal authorities to add space for a rail line to the proposed new bridge. They point out that an earthquake (Memphis is close to the New Madrid Fault) could easily damage the two existing rail bridges, bringing Memphis' economy and much of the central South's, to a halt. The two rail bridges spanning the Mississippi River at Memphis are more than 100 years old.

Corps of Engineers Begin Port of Baltimore Project

Improvements to the Port of Baltimore are underway. The $28 million project, funded primarily by federal money, includes widening and deepening several Port channels. The improvements will allow the port to accommodate larger vessels.

Jax Port Sets Vehicle Handling Record, Wants to Expand Foreign Trade Zone

A record number of cars and trucks were handled by the Jacksonville, Fla., Port Authority in fiscal year 2001. The new record of 579,924 vehicles, including imports and exports, topped the previous high of 579,367 vehicles set in 1987. Last year's record represents an 8 percent increase over 2000's total. Volvo, Daewoo, Toyota, Nissan and Kia are just a few of the automotive brands shipped to the U.S. using JPA's Blount Island Terminal. Also, the JPA wants to expand its foreign trade zone. In December, the JPA voted unanimously to ask the state Legislature to amend its charter to allow a foreign trade zone outside of Jacksonville. Jacksonville's biggest competitor in importing and exporting of cars and trucks in the South is Brunswick, Ga.

Update on High Speed Rail From Birmingham to Atlanta

Alabama officials have studied using an existing Norfolk Southern rail line between Birmingham and Atlanta for a high speed rail system (80 to 125 miles per hour). The study found that over 190 curves in the Norfolk Southern line make it impossible to be used for high speed rail. The existing line, which is used by Amtrak's Crescent passenger train, would require trains to travel no faster than 80 miles per hour because of the curves. Another alternative would have the high speed train run in the median or off to the side of Interstate 20. That option would cost over $300 million more than the Norfolk Southern option. Each option would exceed $1 billion, transportation officials said.

Florida Voters Approve High Speed Rail

In November, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment that requires the state government to begin construction of a high-speed rail line by 2003. The measure passed with a 53 percent majority. High-speed rail from major markets in Florida will travel at 120 miles per hour. The first line is expected to be built between St. Petersburg and Tampa, on to Orlando and south to Miami. Florida elected officials have approved the spending of $54 million for a rail authority to begin designing the project as well as attracting private investment. The first sector of the rail line is expected to be built in the median of Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando. With an estimated cost for the entire project at $22 billion, Gov. Jeb Bush is eagerly searching for private investors.

D/FW International Sells $650 in Bonds

To help fund its $2.6 billion airport expansion, officials with the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport completed the sale of $650 million in bonds, its largest bond sale to date. The expansion of the airport will include the construction of a new international terminal, an automated people mover system and a runway extension.

Florida's New Road Permitting Process

The Florida Department of Transportation and 22 other agencies, representing Florida and the federal government, have agreed to use a new method of making transportation decisions in the state. The new process is aimed at making state transportation decisions that are more efficient and more environmentally safe. The "Efficient Transportation Decision-Making Process" is expected to reduce costs, time and duplication; establish interagency teams to coordinate transportation project reviews; and identifying critical issues earlier to reduce conflicts among permitting agencies.